Rescue
by jccheshire
Summary: Jason is back in Gotham, planning to take down a drug lord and human trafficker. What happens when his path crosses with Charlie, a prostitute who doesn't take any bullshit, and has a connection with the targeted crime lord? Will Jason's connection with Charlie only last until they take down the crime lord? Or will it become something more? Jason Todd x OC. Rated T for language
1. Beginnings

Jason Todd was no stranger to being alone. He enjoys it actually. He wouldn't mind spending most of his days alone, in a room where he can just busy himself. He liked how relax he would feel, like he didn't have to live up to anyone's expectation. Even if it was just a few minutes alone, he had the chance to let his guard down and not worry about anyone else. He enjoyed the quietness and calmness of a room when there wasn't any distractions.

Jason Todd liked being alone, but he hated feeling alone. Being in a crowded room full of people, but feeling as if you were the last person in the world was the worst. It was like no one in the room understood him. They didn't understand his pain. Misery. Anger. Disappointments. Suffering. No one could compare to that. No one knew of the experiences he went through. The ones that he tried to hold back the tears that escaped. The amount of blood he shed, and the screams that were ignored. Nights that he would lay awake on his bed and replay the nightmares called reality.

But while no one would understand his pain, he couldn't understand their happiness. Their joy, smiles, and laughter that filled the room. He could never understand how people could find time and find happiness in a world where he only sees despair. In a world full of people, soul, and humanity, Jason never felt so alone.

* * *

><p>He stood on the highest roof top he could find on the block, casting himself over the empty streets of Gotham. As always, he was greeted with the cold air that tried to sneak its way into his red helmet, only this time it was accompanied by the rain. Even before a single word was spoken, Jason sensed someone's unwanted presence behind him and automatically knew who it would be.<p>

"What are you doing here Dick?" Jason asked, still kneeling with his back towards his estranged brother.

"Enjoying the view?" Dick took a few steps towards Jason before continuing. "I was looking for you- thought that I'll join you on your patrol tonight. Come on Jason, a little company wouldn't kill you. Plus it is starting to look like a slow night."

Before Jason can turn his head to tell Dick to fuck off, the sound of a girl shouting broke into the air. He smirked to himself, glad that he wouldn't be stuck alone with Dick, and quickly rose to his feet. "Guess this night is 'bout to get interesting."

* * *

><p>"Come on beautiful. How about I show you a good time, huh? You look like you know.. know how to have some.." the man slurred his words as he eyed the girl in front of him, staring at her from head to toe as if she was a piece of meat. "fun," he finished as he made his way closer, still holding onto a bottle of beer in his hand.<p>

"Hey I told you to fuck off! Trust me dear," the girl shouted at the drunken pervert in front of her. "I am fun! But my kind of fun will cost you!" The girl crossed her arms and looked at the man in front of her fearlessly. Her hair was in a slick ponytail, transcending from her natural dark hair to an ombre light brown. Her bright emerald eyes didn't show any sense of fear or panic. Regardless of the fact that she was standing in front of a drunk pervert in a dark alley way, wearing nothing but a short dress, knee high boots, and a peacoat that did little to no protection against the cold air. "No money, no fun!"

"Aw, come on baby! Don't be like that," he said as he took a few steps closer. "Alright honey, you win. How much are we talking here, huh? $40? $45?"

"Forty five fucking dollars?" She snorted, "do I look like I'm only worth forty five fucking dollars? Sorry, but I have people to pay so I'm going to need at least $100."

The man's smirk turned into an angry scowl, and dropped the bottle he was holding. He quickly closed the small distance between them, cornering her against the wall of the dark alley. "Look you whore, why would I waste $100 on someone who sells themselves, when I can just have it for free?" he slowly ran one of his hands against her leg and used the other one to hold her throat. "With or without permission."

He chuckled lowly as he breathed into her ear, making her smell the alcohol on his breath. "Just relax baby. It' nothing that you're not used to. Just relax."

"Listen you pervert, I'll give you five seconds to get your fucking hands and disgusting breath away from me. By the way, invest in some fucking breath mints after I beat your ass," she tried to say as loud as she can with his grip getting tighter around her throat.

The man just chuckled as he moved his hand from her throat and ran it down her slim curves. "Come on baby girl, you know you're enjoying it," he whispered into her ear. "Why else would you become a damn fucking slut?" She flinched from the smell of beer escalating up her nose. It brought back bad memories that she tried to forget. She closed her eyes as he was kissing her collar bone.

"One.."

He started to unbuckle his belt while pushing his body onto hers, trapping her against the brick wall.

"Two.."

Her fists started to tighten as he managed to undo his belt.

"Three.."

She heard the sound of his laugh as he pulled his jeans down, leaving him only in a pair of boxers.

"Four.."

His hand went back around her throat once again as her voice started to escalate. She began to raise her fists just as he was about to to make his way up her dress.

"Fi-"

She was interrupted by her almost rapist falling to the ground in front of her. Her eyes fluttered open as she heard a voice that didn't sound like it belonged to the unconscious man in front of her.

"Five." Jason twisted his wrist as he looked down at the drunk bastard laying by his feet.

"Are you okay?" Dick asked as he jumped off a trash bin nearby.

The girl just stared at them, ignoring his question, before kneeling down to go through the man's pocket. "I could have handled this myself." She dug through his jacket pocket and pulled out a wallet, counting the money he had. "Bastard said he didn't have any money," she whispered to herself.

"What are you doing?" Jason asked as he eyed the girl technically robbing the man.

She picked up her head and looked straight at the man in the helmet. "Taking what belongs to me. I can't afford to go back empty handed."

"You're not even going to say thank you?" Jason asked rudely, aggravated that he practically saved her from getting raped, and now she's stealing from him without even saying so much as a thank you.

"Like I said, I could have handled this myself," she shot back as she got back on her feet. "I don't need two guys playing hero coming to my rescue, like I'm some damsel in distress."

"Hey lady, if you were so damn fine then why were you screaming and pressed up against a wall?" Jason asked, getting more annoyed at her remarks. "We saved you, got it? I don't care about thank yous, but at least be appreciative about it."

The girl sarcastically slow clapped and tilted her head to get a good look at the Red Hood. "Look buddy, I didn't scream for help or anything, got it? I _was_ shouting, but it wasn't for help. My choice of words weren't that clean," she said as she made her way to the masked hood. "And I was going to beat the shit out of that bastard 'till you two showed up."

Jason stared down at her, his eyes burrowed from annoyance, not like she could have seen. "You're welcome," he spat out.

She glared up at him, but was only able to see her reflection through the helmet. She poked her finger at his chest emphasizing each word.

"I. Don't. Need. Rescuing."

Dick stood there smiling to himself, secretly enjoying the little squabble between the two. He decided to step in before Jason finally explodes on her, or if she decides to explode on him. She clearly wasn't afraid of either one of them, the two brothers or the pervert. It wouldn't be much of a surprise if she knew how to fight. "Hey, hey. We don't need any thank yous or anything. We just do this to help others," Dick said before quickly adding "_not_ that you need any help.."

Before anyone else can say another word, there was a sharp ring. "Shit.." the girl whispered to herself. She reached into her jacket pocket and held her cellphone, reading the name on the screen. She took another hard look at both Dick and Jason, but more of a glare for the latter, before turning her heel. "As fun and delightful it had been talking with you fine gentlemen, I gotta get back to work." She stopped by the still unconscious body on the floor and knelt down by him. She spotted the bottle of beer that he was holding earlier and checked if there was still any left.

With a proud smirk on her face, she spilled the rest of the beer on his head and whispered into his ear. "Next time you try something like that again, either I get my money or I will put you in a much _much _worse condition." She then proceeded to get up and walk out of the alley without looking back at the two brothers.

"Wow..she's uh.." Dick struggled to find the right words to describe her. Jason walked over to the man and lightly kicked his side to check if he was still alive. A little moan from him answered his thoughts. He was still annoyed by the rudeness of the girl, and decided to carry out a mission that he had been planning to lighten up his mood. He checked his watch for the time before turning to his brother. 2:16 AM. It's still not too late to get a little work done.

"You said you wanted to help me on patrol? Well Dick, how about taking down a drug lord?"


	2. Encounter

"So what did you say the dude's name was again?" Dick asked as he took a seat next to Jason, handing him a bottle of Budweiser.

After tying up the pervert back in the alley for the cops, Jason quickly updated Dick about what he has been doing for the past few weeks. One night when he was busting a drug deal, the drug dealer cowardly tried to save himself by offering to leak out information about the newest drug lord in town, Felix Crow. He told him about how Crow is new to Gotham, but quickly making his way up the business. Crow owned a nightclub in the slumps of Gotham, where he had his men selling a variety of club drugs, including ecstasy and LSD. But one of the two factors that made Crow so special was that he was also selling Scarlet, a new drug that he manufactures. Scarlet is a drug that was swiftly hitting the streets in Gotham, most evidently with teenagers. It's a tablet that has the combined effects of both ecstasy and LSD, but with longer lasting effects. With the symptoms of both drugs meant that it is also twice as dangerous. There are already reports of numerous reports of deaths solely because of this drug.

The second factor that make Crow famous are his girls. Crow's clubs were known for their drugs, but famous for their girls. Prostitutes were always around, offering to give anyone a good time. But Crow was not only a drug lord and a pimp, but is also in charge of human trafficking. He had girls imported from different countries and forced them to work in his club.

Right now, Crow was on the top of Jason's shitbag list.

Jason eyed his surroundings, trying to get familiar with the environment, and plan an escape routine if needed though highly unlikely. It was hard for him to see past all the dancing bodies and drunken men trying to catch up with the club's "main events". Normal clubs had singers of DJ's as an attraction, but this one had girls. Not ones like Hooters, or strippers that just took off their clothes, but girls that were for sale. They didn't only sell their body, but also sold drugs to liven up the party- if you were willing to pay a little extra that is. This was not a normal club where teenagers tried to sneak into. This was Crow's club.

"Felix Crow," Jason spoke slowly as he still tried to scout the area for a backdoor. "He's the one that runs this shithole."

Dick nodded before taking a look at their drinks. "Maybe it would have been smarter to not drink before taking down a dangerous crime lord."

"Know thy enemy," Jason quoted "we're not here to fight. We're here to get information and come up with a plan." He chugged down the bottle in his hand before getting up from his seat. "Besides, I'm not a lightweight like someone else."

Dick glared as he watched Jason walk into the crowd of people. "Hey, I don't get _that_ shitfaced!" he called out, but it was too inaudible for Jason to hear over the loud music pumping through the speakers. Jason pushed his way through the intoxicated crowd, making his way aimlessly to the other side of the room, trying to look for someone that might be hammered enough to spill some secrets. He felt an arm grab his, and out of instinct he grabbed the unknown hand and twisted it behind the person's back.

"What are you doing?! You crazy bastard, if you want me you gotta pay upfront before you damage any goods!"

Jason looked at the woman in front of him and let go of her arm. She was obviously one of the club's merchandise, and was too pissed off at him to be questioned. Before he can mutter a half-hearted apology, she was already on her way to another customer. Getting the view of the dance floor in back of him, he noticed that Dick was no where to be found, probably lost somewhere in the crowd. His search for Dick was interrupted by the sound of someone slow clapping and laughing. Jason turned around to tell the person to fuck off and mind their own business before realizing who it was. _You're fucking kidding me_, he thought.

"Nice one, doll. You must not come here often."

It was the girl from earlier that night, the one that reminded him of why he hated socializing with people. _Don't tell me that she's one of Crow's girls, _he thought to himself. He mentally praised the existence of helmets and secret identities. The last thing that he needed tonight was to pick another fight with this girl. Even with the dim lights of the club, Jason was able to take a better look at the girl. Other than her exposed cleavage and the smirk painted on her face, the unmasked man noticed that she was of Asian descent. Or more realistically half, considering that she had green eyes that were just glaring daggers at him not too long ago.

"Been a long time since I've been to a place like this," he lied. Jason knew that if he wanted to get some answers, he needed to play along and fit in.

She stared at him when he spoke, her smirk quickly turning into a frown. _Fuck__, _Jason thought, _don't tell me this girl can recognize my voice. _

After a few more seconds of staring, she broke out into another smirk and moved closer to him. "Well here's a hint about how this place runs. You like what you see, you have to pay good money before hand. You hurt one of your girls? You don't have to worry about it one bit. We might yell and tell you to go fuck off, but we don't fight back. We _can't _fight back. You want something to make things more fun.. you come look for me."

Jason looked at her confused a bit. They weren't allowed to fight back? Didn't she just claim that she was about to beat the shit out of that pervert in the alley? "I come to you if I want something fun?" Jason asked, trying to stay on task and see if this spitfire knew any secrets worth his time. "What if I have some questions?"

She still had the smirk on her face and looked around, as if to see if anyone was listening. Everyone was too busy with their own business to notice the two. She faced him again and brought herself closer to his ear before whispering. "Then you ask for Charlie."

And with that she started to walk past him but stopped momentarily to call something over her shoulder. "FYI, a pretty face like that shouldn't be covered by a helmet."

Jason quickly sprung around, but she was already lost in the crowd. _Fuck. _How did this girl already know who he is from just a simple quick conversation? Either she isn't just some regular prostitute, or he's slacking big time.

Jason felt another hand tap him on the shoulder and turned around, expecting it to be another girl trying to sell herself to him. To his surprise, it was Dick who must have found his way back.

"Find anything?" he asked.

"Yeah, the stuck up chick from the alley. Her name's Charlie and my guess is that she's one of Crow's girls." He decided to leave out the part where she suddenly figured out his alter ego. The last thing he needed was Dick running his mouth to Bruce about how Jason is no longer able to keep a secret identity. "I think she knows a thing or two."

"Wow, what are the odds huh?" Dick asked. "Do you think it's anything that we need to check out?"

Jason thought about it for a while. As of right now she's the only lead that he has, but that doesn't mean that he wants to actually have another conversation with her, let alone work with her. "Even if she does, there's no telling that she's willing to cooperate. She'll probably just run her mouth about how she capable she is of taking care of herself."

Dick scowled at Jason and looked around at their surroundings. Drunk people littered the dance floor and everyone else looked as if they were high off of drugs. "Well right now she's your best bet to getting to Crow, Jason."

Jason groaned a bit when he realized that his older brother was right. Taking down a shitbag like Crow was more important than his tolerance of that girl's annoying mouth. "Fine. But let's come back here later on tonight. It's almost sunrise and we both know that the little guy is waiting up for you."

Dick chuckled as he rubbed the back of his neck. Even with Bruce back in the picture, Damian still looked at Dick as a father figure. When Dick went off on parole, Damian would never admit it but he would stay up until he comes back to the Wayne Manor. He'll just claim that he wasn't tired or was staying up training. "Yeah, we should take a rest and come back later."

* * *

><p>Jason stumbled to get his key through the lock of his front door. He had to nudge the door a bit with his knee to open it. His apartment wasn't anything glamours, actually far from it. It was defiantly nothing compared to the extravagant mansion that he called home for a few years, or Ra's al Ghul's palace which he resided in for some time after his resurrection.<p>

There weren't huge portraits hovering over the fireplace, or a grand piano laying in the middle of the room. No servants to cater to his needs, or an Alfred tidying up the mess and filling the room with the scene of homemade dinners. His apartment was simple. It consisted nothing more than the necessary items. Two floors and nothing more. The only extraordinary thing was the numerous guns laying around. His clothes were still settled in his suitcase, and his fridge was mostly empty. "It's only temporary," he'll say. He never planned on staying in one place for too long. It wasn't because he was always needed elsewhere, or he grew a distaste to the environment around him. He just never really found a reason to stay. To him, this apartment wasn't a "home", it was a safe house. One of many he had in different locations on the map.

He kicked off his shoes and dragged his feet across the hardware floor. He made his way to the couch as he removed his jacket and shirt. The bed was too far for him and the stairs was just too much of an inconvenience. He made himself as comfortable as he can on the couch and shut his eyes, trying to replay the events of that day. It was a force of habit he developed ever since he came back to life. He never knew which day would be his last again. If any one of these days was to mark his end, he wanted to remembered it before he slept. He never really knew when he would close his eyes only to never open them again. Before he knew it, Jason dozed off to sleep just as the sun was waking over Gotham.

* * *

><p>"So I know that she's our best, and only, lead right now. But do you think that she's going to actually give us anything useful?" Dick asked as he tried to keep up with Jason's fast pace. "I mean what were her words exactly? Did she say that she really know anything?"<p>

"There's something about her, Dick. You know besides her aggravating attitude, she seems fearless when she talks. She sounded like she knows what I want to know somehow, and wouldn't mind sharing."

"She's a worker here, Jason. She probably thought that you wanted sex or drugs," Dick stated.

"We won't know 'till we ask." Jason made his way over to the bar. The club looked more crowded and rougher than before.

"What can I get you two?" the bartender asked.

"Yeah, I'm looking for Charlie. You don't know where I can find her by any chance do ya?" Jason asked.

The bartender gave him a little nod while also eyeing him suspiciously. He was a big broad man with eyes that were meant to intimidate the two former Robins. He turned and walked over to another bulky man standing in front of a hall way. Both of them looked at Jason and Dick as they continued to whisper to each other. It was the sort of communication seen between two elementary girls gossiping during recess. Except that these two didn't look as innocent, and they were clearly not in a playground.

After a few more shared whispers, the bartender returned back to the raven haired men. His eyes seemed more hostile, but still failed to draw any fear. "Charlie ain't available." His words and the way he spat it out showed that he was hiding something. Jason glanced at the man by the hallway with the corner of his eyes, noticing that he was staring right back. He was getting impatient with the obvious lies and were ready to take both men outside and use "other methods". Sensing that Jason was about to blow their cover, Dick moved his way in front of Jason, blocking him off.

"Look man, I met this girl named Charlie the other day and we had a little fun if you know what I mean. I liked the way she moved and she liked my wallet. She told me to come back here and see her again," Dick lied while maintaining eye contact with the bartender's still hostile eyes. First thing Bruce had taught him. Lie with your words, but convince them wit your eyes. A person's eyes can let on more than it seems.

The bartender seemed to believe Dick's white lie as his eyes seemed to calm a little bit. Still, he didn't seem to budge and continued to stare at them. Jason couldn't take standing in the sideline any longer and his patience was withering. "We can pay in cash, right? Charlie said to bring extra."

He slammed a bunch of crumbled bills onto the counter, which brought satisfaction to the bartender's face. He took it and slit it into his back pocket, and gave the bulky man a little nod. After he disappeared into the hallway, the bartender returned his attention back on to them. "Vodka? Beer?"

"No thanks. Water would be fine," Jason said.

Once the bartender laid out two glasses of water and left to attend to other customers, Dick turned to Jason. "No beer? I'm guessing tonight isn't just for questions."

Jason took a sip of his water and noticed the bulky man making his way over with Charlie in his hand. She looked different than earlier. She didn't seem confident and dominating anymore, but instead angry and frustrated. For a split second he thought that she looked like she was about to break. Like she was going to drop on the floor and let her screams mix in with the club's loud music. He thought that she actually looked is until she caught his eyes staring, and quickly changed the expression laid on her face. It was in an instance. As fast of lightning, almost. The way that she was able to hid her insecurities, and pretend like she was never helpless to begin with.

"Tonight is for action"

Just then the man stopped in front of the pair. "You get twenty minutes."

"So.. you're the one that summoned me," she said after noticing Jason and Dick, "and you brought a friend.. Let me guess, you're the civil one from the alley."

Just as Dick was about to ask Jason just exactly how much they talked when they last met, he was interrupted.

"Your eye." Jason pointed out, referring to her black eye that wasn't there earlier. Charlie laughed it off and flashed them a smirk.

"You should see the other guy," she joked. "Some guy grabbed me the wrong way, and then spoke to me like I was trash. Just because my job isn't in some high paying office, doesn't mean I don't deserve respect. After I did something about it, he told Mr. Grumpy over there." She pointed her finger in the direction of the bulky man that just dragged her over there. "They weren't too happy over the fact that he was some hot shot at an international corporation and he threatened to have the place shut down. So, they took their anger out on me. But hey, what can you do?"

Jason stared at the black eye, knowing fairly well that there are more bruises under the sleeves of her short kimono styled robe. "I thought you weren't allowed to fight back," he questioned, remembering what she said earlier.

She just shrugged as she motioned the bartender for something to drink. "I never was one to follow the rules. Plus, I told you that I can take care of myself." She gave Jason a quick wink, while Dick was still trying to figure out how she knew who they were. When the bartender brought her a cocktail, she glared at him and reluctantly took it. "Why do they always assume that all girls want a cocktail? What can a girl do around here to get some whisky or scotch?"

"Look we only got twenty minutes to ask you some questions," Dick said, trying to push the conversation forward. "What can you tell us about Felix Crow?"

Charlie chugged down the cocktail and stared off into space, not making eye contact with either one of them. "What makes you think that I know anything about Crow.? Better yet, what makes you think that I'll tell?" She grinned to herself, enjoying the tease she was giving them. Jason started to get aggravated at how she was trying to get the upper hand in the conversation. "First of all, you told me to ask for you. Secon-"

"Maybe I just wanted a good time," she interrupted him, finally turning her grin to face him. She looked at him from head to toe as if he was some sort of prey and she was the predator. "You look like you know how to have fun,"

"Secondly.," Jason continued, trying to ignore her obvious flirtation. He didn't need to pick up a chick, he was able to do that any day. Tonight he needed answers, and he wasn't looking forward to wasting any time. "you said that you don't follow rules. That means that you're not afraid. Not even afraid to tell us a thing or two about Crow,"

She still looked unconvinced as she started playing with the umbrella in her new cocktail. "I'm not afraid of heights, but that doesn't mean that I'm going to go jump of bridges. I'm not afraid of you but that doesn't mean that I trust giving out any information."

"Thirdly, what do you have to lose?" Dick finished, hoping that it'll hit Charlie in a soft spot. It didn't take a master detective to realize that she wanted out of this place. Charlie's smirk faded for a brief second but returned just as fast as she was able to hide her vulnerability.

She peered over her shoulder at the man by the curtains and noticed that he was preoccupied with someone else. She took a few steps forwards and whispered in a low voice, that was almost inaudible compared to the loud blasting music pumping in the room. "Not here."

Charlie walked past the two and hurried into the crowd on the dance floor, with Jason and Dick following pursuit. It was hard to keep up with her because she was able to swiftly nudge her way in between people. But they finally caught up with her at the other side of the club, where she stood next to an open door that Jason failed to notice before.

"Where are we heading?" Dick asked once the abandoned the club and entered a dark hallway.

"You wanted to talk, so we're going to talk. It's not safe to talk out there." Charlie called over her shoulder as she guided them into a room that looked like it was used for storage. "Don't worry, no one comes by here. It's an old part of the building that everyone's drunken minds forget about." She jumped on an old bean bag and played with the cocktail's umbrella she still had in hand. "You guys have fifteen minutes before Mr. Grumpy realizes that I escaped."

"Felix Crow." Dick began "What can you tell us about him?"

Charlie busied herself by toying the umbrella, to avoid any eye contact. She didn't have a problem with looking people straight in the eye. But she'd rather not do it when one of her eye looks like it was attacked by Frankenstein. "I want to know what I'm getting myself into first. What's your situation with Crow? Why so curious? Guy isn't all the interesting." Suddenly a thought popped into her mind. "Actually, I want to know why you two are playing superheros. What's up with the mask? Wait, no. What is up with the helmet?"

Jason walked up to Charlie and snatched the umbrella away from her. He was done playing games and his patience was getting strained. There was no point in trying to deny their involvement with crime fighting. Charlie may be a smart mouth, but she didn't seem like a threat. "It's none of your business. Just tell us everything you know." She glared up at him, but still wore the smirk she had. As much as her attitude annoyed him, it intrigued him at the same time. What makes this girl so unafraid? She wasn't scared to fight a customer, and talked to people like she knew all their secrets. She's willing to rat out her boss, without much convincing, and now she's demanding to know the back story of the whole thing. Jason had two theories in mind of what was wrong with her. Either she's so naive that she doesn't think there is any danger involved, or she's perfectly aware and just doesn't give a shit. He was hoping that it was the first one because he didn't want to deal with a hard headed diva just yet.

She stood up from the old bean bag and stood a little too close to him, not that it bothered her. She had to tilt her head up a little to face him eye to eye, no longer caring about her black eye. "If you want me to talk, you have to let out a few things too. It's just that fair."

Before Jason can protest and say screw you, Dick managed to pull Jason out of the way, enabling a safe three feet distance between the two. "Alright like I said back in the alley- we do those things to help people. And now we want to people affected by Crow. He sold drugs to a group of teens. These teens died, but Crow is still selling them. Cops won't take action, but we will." Charlie flinched at the mention of the deaths, something that Jason noticed. She turned her attention to Dick and no longer wore her smirk. Still, she didn't want to show any sign of weaknesses, so she just stayed emotionless, but her bright green eyes were visibly a bit duller.

"I didn't know.." she whispered "I didn't know about the deaths,"

"Crow used you girls to sell in the club. But he has people on the outside to sell around the area, mostly to teens. Also, he's responsible for the high prostitution rates here in Gotham, as well as buying girls from other countries. If we want to stop all of this, then we need to stop Crow. We need to know what you know."

Charlie stared at them both now, unsure of what to do. She walked past them and opened the door, peeping her head out to see if anyone was around. When she was certain that no one was within ear shot, she closed the door and spoke. "Crow never comes to these clubs. He owns them but he doesn't like to visit. He operates from home with a few body guards close by. They're just a mile out of town, staying in this big fancy house isolated from everything else," She spotted a pen and tore off a beer lable, scribbling the address down. "Here. It's safe to go around a little after midnight. That's when the guards switch posts, and it'll give you time to sneak through. Felix usually goes to bed around eleven so by the time you get there he'll be sound asleep like a baby. Two guards outside his room but none inside. He feels all weird about people watching him sleep. Now there are security cameras all over the place except for the roof and along the south quarters. That's your blind spot, use it."

Dick and Jason just stared at her, unsure of how a prostitute working in a club got all of this information. They were expecting something along the lines of a location or a name to reach, not a strategy plan.

"And how do you know all of this?" Jason asked slowly. This girl was defiantly not naive like he wanted to believe she was. Charlie crossed her arms and lifted her chin a bit, like she was offended or something.

"He's my father."


	3. Target

Jason stared at Charlie in utmost confusion. Felix Crow is her father? She's willingly helping them take down her father? Or is she throwing them off their track? Can she be trusted? He was now regretting the fact that he allowed her to know their secret identities.

Dick's face also showed confusion, but more of disgust. "Your.. father?! Felix is your father?! He's a drug lord and manages prostitutes! He's even brought girls from international countries and forced them to work at his club! And now you're telling me that you, his daughter, is one of his girls? How old are you anyways?!"

Charlie rolled her eyes, annoyed at Dick's unnecessary freak out. "Calm down cowboy. You didn't let me finished. Felix is not my _biological_ father. He's my _step-father, _okay? And for your information, I'm nineteen, which is past the legal age of making decisions concerning my life and what I want to do with it."

Dick just threw his arms up and backed away from Charlie to pace around the room, still trying to figure out what the hell was going on. Why does he even try having some bonding time with Jason if it leads to something as twisted as this?

"Why help us?" Jason finally spoke up. "Why would you even betray your father, biological or not?" He wondered why anyone would even think about betraying family.. No matter what fucked up things they're doing, why would anyone betray them without a moment of hesitation? Betraying a father, mother, daughter, _son_. He still remembers that day.. that feeling of utter betrayal.

Charlie's face softened as she asked herself the same question. She hated Felix, that's a fact, and even wants him to go to hell. He was nothing like a father to her, but does she really trust two strange men that she had just met? "You have your reasons, I have mine," she said in an almost inaudible voice. Even if she couldn't trust either one of them about information of her past, she hoped to trust them to take down Felix and put her out of her misery.

Dick finally stopped pacing around the room and gathered his thoughts. "Alright, here's the deal. You know who we are, who we really are. So you know what we do. I can promise you that once we get to Felix, things aren't going to be pretty."

Charlie looked at Dick with cold piercing eyes. "Promise me that things are _definitely_ not going to be rainbows and sunshine."

Dick nodded. "With this guy here, things are not going to be civil. Thank you."

"You can thank me once I see Felix on the floor of his bedroom."

Dick then turned to leave through the door that they entered through, leaving Jason alone in the room with Charlie. The vigilante and the young prostitute just stared at each other for what felt like hours. Both of them wondering if they can trust the other. Was she leading them into a trap? Was he capable of taking down Felix?

After a few moments of silence, Jason turned to follow Dick but was stopped by Charlie's voice.

"_You _have to promise me one thing too big guy."

"And what might that be?" Jason asked, with his back still facing her.

"Promise me.. that no matter what happens.." Charlie suddenly lost full stability of her voice, and heard the hesitations and crackles, "you're gonna help me escape this shithole."

Jason just stared at the wall, his back still towards her, and allowed a few more seconds of silence to pass between them. Yes, he decided to himself, she can be trusted. And without saying a single word, he walked right through the door and down the hallway to find Dick, leaving her in the room alone, and free to silently cry to herself.

* * *

><p>After leaving the club, they headed back to Jason's place to come up with a strategy. Only some of the time there was used for strategizing. The rest was Dick convincing Jason not to murder the man, but let the cops handle it.<p>

"The cops aren't going to do shit. They know what Crow is doing but they're fucking letting it slide 'cause they're a bunch of cowards!"

"I know Jay, okay believe me, I know how badly you want to take this guy down. But killing him just isn't what we do. We need to-"

"It's not what you guys do. Not we." Jason interrupted. Even though he admits that his relationship with his brothers, hell even with Bruce, has improved tremendously, he still sticks to his way of justice. To him, putting thugs behind bars are nothing. But guys like Felix? They don't deserve the privilege.

"It's not right Jason." Dick's voice was stern and serious. He was happy with his current relationship with the black sheep of the Wayne family, even if it was still a bit estranged. The last thing he wanted was to see it all fall apart because of their different views on justice. "You want him to suffer, I know that. So let him suffer in jail, where he'll stay and rot in. Let's just go and interrogate him on where the drug labs are located, and then tie him up and deliver him on the steps of the police station. Okay? He'll get what's coming to him."

Jason thought about it for a while. If only Dick knew how badly he wants to wrap his hands around crow's throat and watch the life fade from his eyes. How badly he wants to take him down so no one else has to suffer because of what he has done. No kid has to have a drug addict mother like he did.

"Fine," Jason agreed reluctantly as he pulled the red helmet over his head. He knew that if he stayed here arguing with Dick, they'll never get a move on. "But I get to do the punching, you just ask the questions."

"Deal," Dick grinned.

* * *

><p>After forty five minutes on the road, Dick and Jason finally reached the address that Charlie provided them. They hid their motorcycles in a forest across from the house and quickly noticed that there aren't any guards in sight.<p>

"The guards are changing positions, just like she said." Dick whispered. "We can break in through the roof and make our way to the south quarters."

Jason nodded as he reached down for the grappling hook. For a slight moment, a brief split of a second, Jason felt like he was Robin again. Given orders by Batman, using the grappling hook, and feeling the rush of adrenaline. He wasn't sure if he missed dawning the red and green uniform. He still hasn't found it within himself to fully forgive anyone after what happened.

Being the proteges of the dark knight, both of them were able to get to the roof before the guards settled in their new posts. They spotted a door that must lead into the mansion and Dick tried to open it, to no avail. "Locked."

"Well, she didn't mention this." Jason mumbled as he pushed Dick aside to attempt opening it himself. After the same results, he tried nudging the door open with his shoulder. Nothing. Jason groaned, already sensing that tonight won't go as smoothly as planned. He took a few steps back and ran towards the door, trying to give it one last blow, before the door abruptly opened. He couldn't stop his speed fast enough and ended up slamming hard on top of the person that just opened the door.

"Ugh! Well, hello to you too."

Jason groaned once again as he looked down at Charlie. His body was pressed heavily against hers, pinning her down on the floor. With almost little to no distance between the door, Jason noticed the freckles that sprinkled across her cheeks for the first time. He never knew that Asians had freckles too. Realizing that their position was reaching the peak of awkwardness, he jumped to his feet, not even bothering with an apology. Charlie raised her hand up for him to help her up, but immediately put it down once she saw that he turned her back towards her. She scoffed and stood up, patting down her shirt. Unlike her appearance in the club, where she wore heels, heavy makeup, and tight dresses, she looked more relax and more of her own age. She wore short red pajama bottoms with a matching silk pajama top. Her brown dyed hair was relaxed against her shoulders, and her face was clean from all the dark eyeliner and mascara.

"The door was locked." Dick informed, after enjoying the small blush he noticed on Charlie's face, and the awkwardness in Jason's stance.

Charlie swiftly recovered from her embarrassment and rolled her eyes at the raven haired man. "Well duh it's locked. You're breaking into the home of a dangerous wealthy man, did you really think we'll just leave the doors open with a welcome mat?"

"Could have mentioned that earlier," Jason mumbled underneath his breath.

Charlie ignored him and continued, looking only at Dick since Jason was already starting to get on her bad side. "I was waiting out there, but figured that you guys had probably bailed. Once I almost reached the end of the steps, I heard some banging. Next thing I know, I'm laying on the cold floor with Mr. Bad Boy over there breathing in my face."

"Sorry about that, we got carried away at coming up with a _proper_ plan," Dick reported.

Charlie's face immediately transformed from annoyance to a mixture of determination and excitement. "Alright, what's our plan?"

Hearing the word _"our"_, Jason instantly turned to face the young brunette. "Our? You're kidding me right? No, we will be the ones taking down your pops. You just go wait in your room or something, and let the big boys take care of it."

Charlie clenched her fists with furrowed eyebrows. After they take down Felix, she's going to make sure to kick his ass too. How dare he suggests that she's not capable of helping them? She might be less pissed off if he had simply just proposed that it was too dangerous. But instead he said to leave it to the "big boys." Hell, they wouldn't even be here in the first place if she didn't help!

"I want Felix gone just as much as you guys do, maybe even more," she hissed. "I am not going to leave it to the 'big boys', because even though you two decide to play superheroes at night-"

"We don't play, we kinda are.." Dick murmured under his breath.

"-that doesn't mean that I am anything less. You guys have no idea what I can or cannot do. I may not be wearing a mask, or a _helmet_, but I can still kick some ass. Do not even _dare_ to underestimate me when you have not seen what I can do. And never _ever_ say 'let the _big boys_ take care of it' again. Just because I don't have a penis between my legs doesn't mean that I can't fight." Charlie's glares shot right through the red helmet that Jason donned. When no one responded to her slight outburst, she decided to continue. "You promised."

Dick proceeded to rub the back of his neck, a habit that he inquired whenever he was in an awkward situation. "Actually, I promised you that things are going to get roug-"

"Not you," Charlie said flatly, without even casting a glance at Dick. Her eyes were glued onto the helmet a mere few feet in front of her. She hated that helmet already. Not knowing what his expression looks like, not knowing what he must be thinking, feeling. She hated it. At least with a mask, she can have some kind of hint. "_You_. You promised me that you're going to get me the fuck out of here."

A few more moments of silence passed by. "Look, she _is_ the only one that knows the blueprint of this mansion. We do kind of need her," Dick proclaimed.

Jason gave it some thought before finally giving into Charlie's demands. Without her, the mission would only involve him and Dick aimlessly wandering around. "Which way?" He asked in a low voice.

Charlie finally unclenched her hands and flashed him another one of her smirks. "Follow me."

* * *

><p>"So.. am I ever going to learn your names or should I just proceed to call you 'Twinkle Toes' and 'Helmet Head'? Believe me I have no problem just sticking with them," she teased over her shoulder as she led them through a long hallwayof the south quarters.<p>

"I understand the 'Helmet Head' part, but 'Twinkle Toes'..?" Dick pouted, not amused over his nickname. Jason couldn't help but chuckle a bit, seeing how the nickname fitted his brother in a sense.

"Well yeah, you look like you're light on your feet. Like some kind of acrobatic or something," Charlie elaborated.

"Or something.." Jason snickered.

Charlie stopped short just as they reached a corner, causing Dick and Jason to crash into each other. "What the fu-" Jason grunted.

"Shhh" Charlie warned. "There's two guards around the corner. You guys stay here while I distract them. Then do your whole superhero thing, and knock them out- just like you did to that asshole in the alley."

Before they can answer, Charlie strolled to the guards with a grin on her face.

"Hello, gentlemen. Late night, huh?"

One of the guards, a big muscled man in shades took an instant interest in the young Asian step-daughter of his boss. "Miss. Charlotte."

The other guard, a skinnier version of the first did a playful bow as he took her hand and kissed it. "The night just got more brighter now," he flirted. With Charlie's exotic features, her unique emerald eyes, and her fierce attitude, it was no surprise that the guards fancied her. Her relationship to Crow made things even more interesting. Who wouldn't want to try to get with the boss' daughter?

"Shouldn't you be in bed, Miss?" the first guard asked as he turned his back towards the corner to face her. "It's getting pretty late."

Charlie faked a yawn and lifted her arms to stretch, lifting up her silked shirt to reveal her midriff. The guards' eyes were immediately glued to her toned stomach.

"Yeah, I am getting a bit sleepy. Maybe I should hit the hay and catch some z's. You two stay be careful, okay? We don't want anyone creeping up on us," she said as she winked.

Before either one of the guards had a chance to answer, they fell to the floor by Charlie's feet. Dick and Jason stood above the two, easily knocking them out.

"Hey, what's going on there?!" a guard screamed from around the corner. Soon, the trio heard footsteps charging to where they are.

"Looks like the party's getting started," Charlie said.

Just then two more guards came around the corner, both pointing their guns at Nightwing and the Red Hood.

Their faces became puzzled once they recognized Charlie with them. "Miss. Charlotte? Are you okay?"

Charlie instantly faked an innocent scared expression. "Oh guards! Thank goodness you guys are here! These guys just popped out of no where and attacked!" She wailed as she ran towards the two.

"Some actress.." Jason whispered to Dick.

"Well, you two.._ hooligans_. Put up your hands and surrender." Charlie instructed. When neither Dick nor Jason moved a muscle, Charlie shot them a "do-what-I-say" look.

Seeing their hands in the air, one of the guards was pulling out a walkie talkie. But before he can speak another word, Charlie quickly grabbed the gun from the guard next to her and slammed it over the other guard's head, knocking him to the floor.

"What in th-" the guard whose gun was just stolen was unable to finish as Charlie elbowed him in the ribs, bringing him to his knees. She then brought her knee up to his face, knocking him out. All of this was done so swiftly, that Jason and Dick's jaws were dropped. These guards had to be at least specialized in combat, since they were hired to protect Crow. How did a mere prostitute knock them out without breaking a sweat?

Charlie turned back to the two brothers, who were still astonished by what they had just witnessed. "Told you that I can take care of myself."

_Just who is this girl?_ Jason wondered.

"Little D better watch out, he might just be replaced," Dick joked with a grin as he bent down to pick up one of the guards. Jason followed suit with the other guard and dragged him to a nearby closet, stuffing him inside along with the rest of them.

"So what now?" Jason asked.

"Do you know where Crow's office is? Or at least where he keeps records of his documents?" Dick asked Charlie.

"You're just in luck." Charlie grinned as she walked down to a big door with a security pad. "This is where he seals everything. Documents, records, you name it." Her grin quickly faded as she remembered something. "But.. I don't have a single clue of what his password might be."

Dick smiled as he reached into his utility belt to pull out a device. "No worries, leave it to Twinkle Toes." He placed the device onto the security pad, and within a few seconds Charlie saw various combinations of numbers on the screen before one finally settled. The door then clicked and Dick effortlessly pushed himself inside, with Jason following him.

"I'll stand guard," Charlie assured them. "Since now we know that you guys aren't the only badasses here."

Jason rolled his eyes as he went through the papers on Crow's desks. There was nothing but statistical reports, drug sale numbers, information about girls he was looking to buy, and bills for his clubs. "Nothing here. Any luck with you?"

"Give me a second," Dick mumbled as he typed rapidly on the laptop. He was too concentrated on hacking through Crow's firewalls to access his files. Despite the fact that he had outgrown the alias of Robin, Nightwing was still a master hacker. After only five minutes, he was able to crack into Crow's documents. He tried to look for any information that will inform them of where his drug labs were located, but so far he wasn't getting any results. Until..

"Jason, look.." Dick called. "It's an email to Crow."

_Mr. Crow,_

_We are extremely satisfied with the increased sales of Scarlet. Expect your next delivery of two hundred pounds of Scarlet within the next three weeks. If sales continue to increase, then we will be more than happy to continue our partnership. We will email you with more information concerning the location of the shipment shortly._

_- The Shop_

"Next delivery? Continue our partnership? Are you telling me that this guy isn't the one making this shit?!" Jason shouted, slamming his fist against the desk. "I've been tailing this guy for weeks now, and you're telling me that he is just another puppet head?"

"Apparently.. The ones in charge go by the name 'The Shop'. This changes everything." Dick sighed as he rubbed his temples. "If we take down Crow right now, we won't have a single lead on The Shop. Our safest bet is to keep more tabs on Crow and find out more information on just who this Shop is."

Just then, Charlie bursted through the doors and ran up to them. "We have a bit of a situation.." The doors then slammed open and around fifteen more guards charged in, all of them aiming at the brothers.

"Shit.." Dick cursed as he noticed the red blinker on the side of the laptop.

"Stop right there!" one of the guards yelled as he aimed his gun at Dick's head. The guards crowded in, surrounding the two. Charlie found her way next to Jason, clutching onto the gun that was hidden underneath her shirt. She didn't know what to do at the moment. She can help them fight, but they were clearly outnumbered, and even she wasn't that impulsive and rash. She can pretend to play dumb, and not know who either one of them are, but then there goes her chances of ever escaping from Felix.

"Miss. Charlotte.. back away from him. It's not safe here." one of the guards called out to her. Charlie stood still, questioning what she should do. When she just made up her mind, and was about to punch the guard in the face, she heard Jason's voice.

"What floor are we on?" It was almost inaudible. They were only standing a few inches away from each other, so only her and Dick could hear his question. She held her fingers behind her back and singled the number three. Dick noticed this and turned his head to see a large window, overlooking a pool.

"Cover your ears," he warned her, as he slowly raised himself off the computer chair and put his hands up, as if he was surrendering. Then, without any notice, he reached into his utility belt and threw a sonic weapon in front of the guards. The sonic screams could almost match Black Canary's. At the same time, Jason grabbed the chair that Dick was sitting on and threw it at the window, making a hole big enough for them to jump out of. Dick was the first one to jump out, landing in the pool below them.

Charlie was still covering her ears until she felt Jason's arm grab her and throw her out the window. She screamed as she felt herself falling down, until she hit the water. She felt the pressure of the water as she hit it, and the coldness shot down her spine. When she came back up to breathe, she pounded her fist against Jason's chest who landed next to her.

"What the fuck, bro! You don't just throw a girl out of the window with no warning!"

"I promised you that you would fucking escape, did I not?!" he yelled, getting frustrated that this not the first time she didn't thank him.

Charlie's eyes softened as she realized that he kept his promise, even if she had to be thrown out of a window. When she made him promise her that, she thought that he was just going to ignore her. She was shocked that he actually owned up to it, since he didn't exactly say the words "I promise".

"If you two are done playing in the water, let me remind you that we're not safe yet!" Dick screamed as he got out of the pool.

Jason and Charlie swam to where Dick was and proceeded to run to where hid their motorcycles. While they were running, they noticed that they were being chased.

"Miss. Charlotte!" the guard screamed. "Don't worry, we'll get you!"

"Fuck," Charlie snickered. "They think that you guys kidnapped me."

"We're almost the- Ugh!" Jason stumbled as he felt three bullets pierce him through the ribs. The bullet didn't come from the men chasing them, but rather from in front of them.

"Jason!" Dick called out, as he helped his helped his brother get up to his feet, completely disregarding the fact that he called out his real name. "Hang on there, bro."

"There!" Charlie screeched as she noticed a gunman on top of the porch in front of them. She grabbed the gun that she stole earlier and shot him through the shoulder. The gunman fell over the porch and landed on the concrete floor below him.

"Guns too, heh?" Jason chuckled as he was struggling to stand.

"I did say not to underestimate me." Charlie said lightheartedly as she ran up to him to check how he was.

"Stop right there!" The guards that were chasing them were quickly catching up.

"Lean on me," Dick told Jason as they continued to run.

Soon, they reached the forest across the mansion and were able to lose the guards. They found where they hid the motorcycles, but Jason was in no condition to ride.

"Charlie, you don't happen to know how to ride a motorcycle do you?" Dick asked, hoping that Jason can ride with him and Charlie can ride Jason's.

"No, but if you're offering to teach me right now is probably not the best of times," Charlie shouted. She was overwhelmed by the night's events. She thought that she was going to be free from Felix, free from this life, but now she was just on the run. Running away with two strangers that she didn't even know for more than two days. She only just learned one of their names, and he was bleeding from a bullet wound.

"Shit," Dick brought his hands up to rub his temples. Of course things are going to be complicated, they _always_ are with Jason. "We can't just stay here, he's going to bleed out!"

"I.. I have an idea!" Charlie stammered. "This is Felix's house, but it's also mine. I may not know how to drive a motorcycle, but I definitely know how to drive a car!"

Dick calmed down a bit, remembering that she also lived here. "That can work.. but how are we going to get your car? All of the guards are probably surrounding the area right now. We're lucky if they don't find us in the next ten minutes."

"Fuck," Charlie swore.

"Pre..press the button.. underneath the handle.." Jason said in a low, weak voice. With three bullets in his ribs, he was losing consciousness fast.

Dick walked up to his brother's motorcycle and pressed the button, confused of what it will do. Suddenly, the the side of the motorcycle extended and unfolded itself, transforming into an extended side car.

Jason chuckled a bit as he was still fighting to keep consciousness. "Heh. When you're solo, you're.. always getting shot at.. And you always.. have to find a way.. to drive yourself.. There's an autodrive on the motorcycle too.. You take Charlie.. and just place me in that.."

Dick nodded as he helped Jason get in to the sidecar, and press the autodrive. After Jason's motorcycle zoomed itself onto the streets, Dick and Charlie followed close by. He wondered just how many times Jason was in this position. Shot, bleeding, and on the verge of blacking out. Having no one there to help him escape, and only depending on himself..


	4. Rage

"Clear the couch!" Dick yelled as he carried Jason's unconscious body through the door of his apartment. Dick knew that the last thing Jason wanted at this point was to carried through the doors of Wayne Manor. To be unconscious, bloody, and vulnerable was bad enough. But to be unconscious, bloody, and vulnerable in front of the "Bat brats"? Jason would die a hundred times before he would let that happen. He didn't need any sympathy or looks from eyes filled with worry and concern. He was Jason Todd. The failed Robin. He didn't need them- not when he still had to prove it to everyone that Jason Todd is not the same weak boy that died.

Charlie quickly threw the clothes and pillows off the couch, just as Dick had ordered. She watched as Dick discarded Jason's bloodied shirt and helmet. Unlike earlier before, when she was overwhelmed by what she had just gotten herself into, Charlie was calm, though still worried a bit. This was not the first time she saw blood being spilled. Her eyes used to see blood almost every day, sometimes even worse than this. Realizing that despite the fact that this was a vigilante in front of her, situations like this was not new to her. She tied her hair up and decided that this will be her way of thanking him.

"Alright, Twinkle Toes," she said. "We're going to have to check if the bullets went through."

Dick hesitated for a moment before checking his brother's body. Just like Charlie, Dick was calm and collected. Being in the crime fighting life before he even hit puberty, Dick had his fair share of dealing with blood. He could easily fix Jason's wounds by himself, but at the same time he was curious to see just how skilled Charlie was. If Jason was in a more critical state then he would have immediately brought him to Alfred, despite Jason's demands. But right now all they are dealing with is three bullet wounds- nothing that Jason couldn't handle. Dick wanted to know who this girl was, and what she is really capable of. She proved herself to be a skilled fighter, and having good aim with a gun. Is she somehow medically gifted too?

"One of the bullets just grazed him on the arm. And I don't see any exit wounds, so that means that there's still two bullets inside of him," Dick reported.

"Fuck. Okay, we have to make sure that none of his organs are damaged. Lay him down on the couch!" Charlie ordered. "He lost a lot of blood. Do you superhero boys happen to carry around bags of blood or something?"

"Believe it or not.. we superhero boys actually do." Dick jumped out of his seat and ran to where Jason must have stored the medical supplies there. Just as he thought- medical supplies in the broken dishwasher, and blood in the refrigerator. After all, that's what he does.

"Vampires," Charlie mumbled under her breath. She put on the gloves that Dick handed her and began to examine Jason's wounds. "Luckily for him, the guard had horrible aim and missed his heart. Give him blood, and make sure that his passage way is clear." She got up from her seat and walked over to the kitchen, searching through the drawers for a knife. It's been a while since she digged for bullets. Let's just hope that I didn't get rusty she thought to herself. After disinfecting it with alcohol, Charlie kneeled next to Jason's head, hesitantly holding onto the knife. What if she can't save him? What if she kills him somehow? He saved her twice already, and she didn't say thank you once. There was no way she was going to let him die without giving him at least one act of gratitude.

"Don't be an ass and die on me, okay?" She stuck the knife into one of the bullet wounds, silently cursing the fact that Jason managed to store his house with bags of blood, but somehow doesn't have any sedatives. Don't wake up. Don't wake up. Don't wake up. The wound missed his heart, and was by his collar bone. Fortunately, the bullet wasn't deep and Charlie was able to knife it out. "Souvenir," she joked as she placed the bullet in Dick's hand. She wiped some sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand, and glared at the last wound. It was only on his right lower pec, essentially not a dangerous location. But what bothered Charlie was that the wound looked deep. She could knife the bullet out, but it would only cause Jason to lose more blood. The best option was to leave the bullet inside of him. It wasn't in a life threatening situation, and the body will naturally take care of the bullet's led on it's own.

"I can't take this one out. It's way too deep, and if I try to take it out I'll only cause him to lose more blood."

Dick nodded, understanding that he probably wouldn't even had been able to get the bullet out either. Still, he was amazed. This girl, who they had just met, was able to remove a bullet with ease, and determine how close a bullet was to the human heart. "I understand. Let's just close him up, and let him rest."

He applied two bandages on Jason's chest, while wrapping his arm in another one. For the first time in a long time, Dick felt like an older brother. He always thought of everyone as his family, but he felt more like a friend/partner to Tim, Stephanie, and Cassandra. And with Damian, he was his father figure and mentor. But right now, he felt like a brother- and he liked it. He finished dressing his wounds, and gathered the bloody trash to throw out.

"Listen, I know that I haven't really been the most pleasant person, and that I didn't thank you guys for anything you had done for me. But I really am grateful," Charlie said as she followed Dick to the kitchen. "So.. thanks."

Dick took a glance at Charlie and noticed that she wasn't holding any eye contact. It was like she wasn't comfortable or used to showing gratitude. He chuckled a bit because it reminded him as someone else. "Don't thank me. He's the one you should be thanking."

Charlie followed his gaze to the shirtless man on the couch, still unconscious. "Jason, right?" she snickered, remembering how Dick screamed his name. "Do I get the privilege of learning your name, or should I just stick to Twinkle Toes?"

"My name's Richard.. but everyone calls me Dick." He prepared himself for the routine teasing and laughs that always follow suit whenever he tells someone his name. Unsurprisingly, Charlie bursted out in a fit of giggles.

"Dick? Are you sure that you don't want to just stick with Twinkle Toes?" she asked, trying to hold back her giggles to avoid waking up Jason.

Dick rolled his eyes and continued to put away the first aid kit. _It could be worse_, he thought,_ my name could be something dumb like Wally._

* * *

><p>Charlie leaned against the kitchen counter, drowning down a bottle of beer she found in Jason's fridge. Dick just left, saying that he had stuff to take care of and he'll be back the next day. He said that until they can figure out what to do, it would be best for her to stay in Jason's apartment- under the radar. Felix did believe that she was kidnapped anyways. Jason was still resting on the couch, and the sun was coming up. For the first time since she got there, Charlie finally took a look around the apartment. She noticed that everything about the apartment was simple. There wasn't a television set, a computer, or even a dining room table. All there was to sit on was the couch, and a few stools by the kitchen's island. The walls were a neutral shade of grayish bluish, something that she noticed was chipping away. In fact, it was as if the whole apartment looked like it was about fall apart. The floors creaked with every step, the windows were cracked, she was pretty sure that his stove didn't work, and her shivers made her conclude that his heater was broken too. The most expensive items she spotted were the guns that she saw scattered around. She had yet to see what the upstairs held. Still, this wasn't anything that made her too uncomfortable. Before Felix became a factor in her life, her and her mother would live in apartments like this-sometimes even worse.<p>

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard Jason shift on the couch. She walked over to him, but was disappointed to find out that he was still asleep. She wasn't exactly fond of him, even though she did try to save his life earlier, but right now she would kill for some company. She was dying from boredom, and Jason didn't have a TV or computer for her to entertain herself with. All she did for the past few hours was stare at the wall, and snoop through his stuff. She would have went to see what was upstairs, but she wanted to stay by his side. She convinced herself that she wasn't really worried about whether or not he'll live, because his injuries weren't that major, but wanted to stay close just in case. The last thing she wanted was for him to die while she was silently criticizing his apartment upstairs. If he died, then who's going to take down Felix for good?

She sat by the coffee table in front of the couch, and placed her chin on her hands. Without the pressure of digging a bullet out of him, Charlie finally took a good look at the shirtless man laying down on the couch. His face seemed so content, and wasn't scowling like he always was. Even behind the helmet, Charlie can still feel his brows furrowing with displeasure. Her eyes trailed down to the bandages on his chest, one of which was already bloody. She reached behind her and grabbed a clean new one. She slowly ripped off the old bandage, and threw it in the garbage bag next to her. After applying the fresh new one, Charlie's fingers accidentally trailed along a scar. She held in a gasp as she noticed that this was one of numerous scars that painted his chest. He had more scars on his chest alone, than she did on her whole body. Her fingers automatically went to trace down another jagged scar, but she didn't notice that it trailed down his abs. She felt his hard abs underneath her finger tips, and couldn't help but blush a little. This wasn't the first time that her hands roamed down a man's chest, but it was the first time that she felt a body at it's physical peak. It was also the first time that she saw so many scars on one body part. She wondered how many other scars he had on his body. She was curious about how he got every single one of them, which she later concluded was a stupid thought. He was a vigilante after all. What she experienced that night, he goes through every day.

The young brunette shook her head as she realized that her hands were trailing a bit too south. She snatched her hand and was just about to stand up when she heard a voice pierce through her ears.

"Don't stop on my account."

_Body like a God. Mouth like an ass. _Charlie rolled her eyes and focused her attention on the little smirk on Jason's face. "Oh look, you're not dead."

"Sorry to disappoint, but it's going to take a lot more than a few bullets for me to die." Jason struggled to sit up and face Charlie, who was still trying to hide her blush. He wanted to snicker at the expression on her face, but before he can, he felt the pain shoot through him. "How bad is it?"

"One bullet just grazed your arm, and I managed to take another one out. But the last one was too deep in," she informed him. "So congratulations, you're now a proud owner of a bullet in your chest."

"Wait. _You_ took the bullet out?" Jason didn't know whether or not to be impressed or worried. One one hand, this girl proved to be a complete badass. On another hand, he might die from an infection.

Charlie crossed her arms and glared at him, no longer feeling a bit of pity for him. "Don't sound so surprised asshole. I'm more than just a pretty face."

"Yeah, I'll say," he muttered underneath his breath. Charlie failed to pick up on what he said. "Where's.." His voice trailed off, not knowing what to say. He knows that, much to his displeasure, Charlie now knows his name. But does she also know Dick's?

"Dick? He left a while ago, saying that he had something to take care of," Charlie finished for him. Jason groaned, annoyed at the fact that they were all now on a first name basis.

He looked down at his wounds, and noticed that they weren't as bad as he thought. Still, he made a mental note to invest in more bullet proof armor. Jason then noticed that Charlie was still in her matching silk pajama set. Her shorts were dirty and looked tattered, possibly from jumping into the pool earlier. And her shirt was covered in blood- his blood. He sighed, knowing that as much as she irritated him, he couldn't leave her like this. Plus, seeing that Dick decided to leave the pair alone, he would have to take responsibility of her. He was the one that brought her along after all.

"Follow me," he sighed. He got up from his seat, holding in the pain, and slowly made his way to the stairs. He looked back and noticed that Charlie was still sitting on the coffee table, not moving an inch. _Why is this girl so difficult?, _he wondered. "You can trust me, okay?"

She turned her head to face him, shocked by what he said. _Trust?_ She hadn't trusted someone in a long time. She stood up and trailed behind him, walking up the stairs.

Charlie noticed that just like the floors, the stairs also creaked with every moment. At the top of the staircase was a short hallway with only two doors. Jason walked to the end of the hallway and opened the door, revealing a moderate sized room. Paralleling the downstairs, the room also had the same dull wall color, and only had the necessities. There was a bed, a dresser, a desk, and a chair. She noticed that there was a laptop on top of the desk, along with another collection of guns. There was a door in the room, leading to a private bathroom. While she was examining the room, Jason walked to his drawer and pulled out an old shirt.

"Here," he said, handing over the shirt to Charlie. "I'd give you some pants too, but they probably wouldn't fit."

Charlie took the shirt, and studied it with a questionable look on her face. It was a big black shirt, with the number 00 written on it. She then looked down and noticed the blood stains on her shirt. And here she thought that Jason was just another selfish bastard. "Thanks," she said in a low voice. "Thank you.. for everything." She gave him a genuine smile before disappearing into the bathroom to change. When she walked by, she could have sworn to see a shocked expression on his face.

Once he heard the door close, Jason slowly smirked, feeling accomplish over the fact that he finally got a thank you out of her. Now, he wanted to celebrate with a few bottles of beer.

Jason walked towards his fridge to grab a beer, when he noticed an open one on his kitchen counter. Jason frowned, already knowing who it belonged to. He didn't enjoy having his beer stolen from him, and he was pretty sure that she wasn't even legal to drink. Then again, he started drinking before he learned how to drive. He reached into his fridge and pulled out two cold bottles of beer, determined to see just how much this girl can drink. As he was digging inside his drawers for some pain killers, he heard the stairs creak and the sound of Charlie clearing her throat behind him.

"Either one of them is for me, or you have an alcohol problem."

Jason turned his head to tell her to shut up and accept the drink, when he suddenly felt himself unable to form any words. In front of him, Charlie was wearing the shirt that he gave her moments before. It was a little big on him, so it made sense that it was just as big on her too. He noticed that she was no longer wearing her shorts. The shirt he gave her was big enough to cover her butt, however it was still short enough to only stop there. Her legs looked long and lean. She left her hair down, so that it was in front of her shoulders in a messy manner. She looked absolutely gorgeous- and in _his_ shirt too.

"Hellooo? Jaybird?"

He snapped out of the trance that she somehow put him in. "Jaybird?" He didn't even bother to hide the look of disgust on his face.

Charlie walked up to him and grabbed a bottle of beer off the counter and took a sip of it. "Yeah, Jaybird."

"Let's stick to Jason."

"I prefer Jaybird," Charlie teased as she made herself comfortable on top of the kitchen counter. "It sounds better than Jason."

"We're sticking to Jason," he argued as he tried to not notice how the way she was sitting raised up her shirt, making her legs more exposed.

"Whatever," she muttered as she took another sip.

"Legally, you shouldn't even be drinking. You're only like what, eighteen?"

"_Nineteen,__" _she corrected him. "And legally _you_ shouldn't be running around wearing a helmet, and playing with guns."

"At least I get more shit done that the lazy ass cops," he retorted. He popped some pain killers into his mouth, and drained them down with the beer.

"How old are you anyways?" Charlie asked, curious to learn a thing or two more about him. From the looks of it, they're going to be stuck with each other until Dick comes back the next day. They might as well try to be civil with each other.

"Twenty two," Jason answered, "not like it's any of your business."

Charlie scrunched up her face with annoyance. Here she was trying to have a decent conversation with him, and all he has to offer her is attitude. "Don't be so grumpy. All I did was save your ass."

Jason rolled his eyes, something that he found himself doing a lot around her. "Don't praise yourself too much. I wasn't in a life threatening situation. Plus, you didn't even get one out."

Charlie jumped off the counter and marched over to Jason, placing a finger lightly on his bandage. She picked up her head, so that she was only a few centimeters away from his face. "And now you have a little token to add to your badass high ego. _You're welcome_." With her face so close to his, Charlie can now see just how blue his eyes were. And yet, they were still cold. They were icy, and pale- something that intrigued her. She continued to stare at his eyes, finding herself getting lost in it. The color of his eyes reminded her of the ocean, of the sky, of a _baby blue jay. _

Jason stared down at her, noticing that he was only merely one dip of his head away from her lips. Her body was also extremely close to him. She was still only in his shirt, and he was completely without one. But as gorgeous as she was, and as tempting it was, this was not something Jason wanted to get himself into right now. Especially with her.

"You can take your finger off me now," he growled.

Charlie quickly brought herself back from reality and removed her finger from his chest. She turned around and walked towards the couch, grabbing her beer on the way. Damn him for having a body like a gift from God, but an attitude that made him the devil. She can't ignore the fact that if she had just seen him strolling down the streets, she would had probably cat called him. But knowing just who he is and how irritating he is? If Dick didn't come back soon, she would have to swear off all men just because of him.

"I'm curious though, how does someone.." he hesitated, "like you.. know how to remove a bullet?"

She shot him a glare, and decided right then that she will forever live by the motto "never judge a book by it's cover". Because even though the book has the face that just screams sex, it's personality will be the biggest turn off ever.

"Someone _like _me? What, does the word prostitute scare you? Are you repulsed by prostitutes?" Charlie was beginning to wish that he would had just stayed asleep. At least then she wouldn't have to hear another person judging her because of her life choices. She had to do what she had to do. It wasn't like she had a choice.

"No," he snarled. "But are _you_?"

Her eyes immediately changed from flaming anger to paralyzing shock. _But does it scare you? _Of course not. She takes pride in what she does, even if she doesn't like it. She didn't take pride in actually sleeping with people for money. But she _did _take pride in surviving through it. It's not like she grew up as an aspiring prostitute. She wasn't ashamed, because she stood up and took control of _her_ life. And she was not about to let some Batman wannabe that she had just met criticize her.

"_Fuck you,_" she sneered. "You have _no _idea what I have been through, or how I had ended up in this position!" She jumped out of her seat on the couch, and instinctively clutched one her hands into a fist, while the other hand was basically strangling the bottle. "You want to know how I know how to remove a bullet?! Because it isn't the first fucking time that I did it. It's not the first, or the second, or third, or even the fucking fifth time! Five years! Five _fucking_ years I have been doing this! Five _years _I had been playing nurse and fixing everyone- other prostitutes, me, my _mother_. And I will not let some motherfucker come into _my _life and ask _me _if I am scared or repulsed! So _fuck you_!"

The room was suddenly consumed with an eerie of absolute silence. Both Charlie and Jason just continued to glare at each other. Without saying a single word, Jason gulped down the remains of his beer, and walked right past her. He marched up the stairs and straight into his bedroom, slamming it behind him. He understood everything that she was going to, even if he wasn't in the same position. But he has been in the same rage- he's _still _in the same rage.

Charlie fought hard to hold back her tears. The last thing that she wanted was for him to see her in a vulnerable position. She was Charlie fucking Sage. She was not a pathetic little girl that would cry every single time she got her feelings hurt. She would suck it up and punch that bastard hard in the gut. Because she wasn't a victim. She was a _survivor_.

And Jason can see that. He could see the rage in her eyes, in her stance, and in her heart. He recognizes that rage, because he saw it everyday- in himself. He knows what if feels like for people to not understand what you've been through. He knows that immediate fury that takes over once someone tries to understand. Because they _don't _understand. They _never _will. He shares the deep pride that refuses to let themselves be looked at with sympathetic eyes, or judging eyes. The pride that gets them through each and every day, because they are not something to pity. They are an example that they don't need to be rescued- because they are their own heroes.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Hi, everyone! I'm not a huge fan of author notes, but I just want to say that I am honestly so grateful for all the reviews! Thank you so much for them, and keep them coming!**

**I'm also really happy that you guys like Charlie. I really wanted to make her someone that was the complete opposite of a Mary Sue, and someone that can stand up to Jason. Most importantly, I want her to be a major bad ass.**

**Again, thank you so, so, so much for the reviews! **


	5. Drinks

Charlie sat on the couch, playing idly with her fingers. When Jason stormed to his room after she, as she would say, called him out on his shit, the sun was beaming in the sky. Now, the moon took it's place and Jason was still in his room. Charlie wouldn't mind letting him gloat upstairs alone, actually preferring to not see his face at the moment, but there was one thing bothering her- her bladder. When Jason left to sulk in his room, he left behind a pissed off girl with a fridge full of beer. She drowned about two more bottles of beer, proud about her high tolerance to alcohol. But even if it doesn't take much for her to get drunk, she had to admit that her bladder was her weakness. She tried to search for a bathroom downstairs, but all the mysterious doors only led to closets, weapon storage, and what a surprise, more booze. The only bathroom in this apartment was the one that she changed in earlier- the one in Jason's room. The room that he was currently secluding himself in.

She let out a frustrated sigh as she tried to go over her options. Either her intolerable urge to take a piss would miraculously vanish, or she would have to suck it up and go to Jason's bathroom. To her it was a lose lose situation. She can possibly have her bladder explode, or have an awkward confrontation with the grump that is the cause of her irritation.

Charlie sat for a while, weighing her priorities. _On one hand, I can piss on his couch._ So_ have fun with having a pissed on couch Jaybird. On another hand, I can show that I can not easily be broken. I am not going to give him the satisfaction, no way in fucking hell. But then again, the piss couch.. _

She shook her head and got up from her seat, making up her mind on what she should do. "Why is the only bathroom in his room?" she mumbled to herself as she quietly made her way up the stairs. She tried to step as softly as she could, wanting to avoid the annoying creaking sounds. Once she reached his bedroom door, she debated whether or not she should knock or just barge in. Knocking would have been the most polite thing to do, but then again Charlie wasn't exactly a polite person to begin with. She slowly opened the door and peeked her head in, only to find Jason lying in bed, supposedly asleep. She tiptoed to the corner of his bed and saw that his eyes were closed, and his face was relaxed. She noticed that he finally put on a shirt, something that she was kind of disappointed about. Realizing that she looked like a creep just standing at the foot of his bed, Charlie made her way to the bathroom.

Once Charlie finished doing what she came to do, she took a hard look at the mirror. Just like the rest of his apartment, the bathroom was far from luxurious. The toilet had plumbing, thank god, and the sink had running water. But the lighting was dim, and the mirror had noticeable cracks. Charlie stared at her reflection in the cracks, mentally making jokes of how cliched it looked. Her life was never perfect, not even her childhood. She had to grow up fairly fast in order to live, to _survive_. She looked down and noticed that she was still wearing Jason's shirt. It hung loosely on her, and provided little to no warmth. Still, it wasn't like she had any other clothes here. And although she would never admit it to him, it was one of the sweetest things anyone had ever done for her. Plus, it smelled like him a little bit. It smelled like pine woods, gun ammo, leather, and a pinch of beer. She inhaled the shirt, finding herself actually liking the scent. Though to be fair, it was the first scent that didn't make her want to gag. She was usually surrounded by people who were drenched in throw up, weed, and hard liquor. Even if he was an ass, at least he was a bit tolerable. And she needed to tolerate him if she wanted Felix gone.

She took a deep sigh, hating that she had to depend on people. She turned around and walked out the bathroom, going straight for the door of the bedroom. With her hand on the knob, she was just about to turn before something startled her. Or _someone_.

"So Miss. Big Mouth actually has a small bladder, huh?"

She turned around and saw Jason lying on his bed, with his eyes still closed. She wanted so badly to flip him off right now. "How'd you know it was me? I can be some crazy ax murderer for all you know," she snorted. "Or I can be Dick, coming to tell you to be nice to the poor, innocent girl you left downstairs."

Jason opened her eyes and gave her a lazy glare of annoyance. He sat up, with his back against the board and grunted from the pain still in his chest. He could have sworn to see a glimpse of worry in Charlie's eyes at that moment. "That does sound like something that idiot would do," he mumbled.

"Ha! So you admit that you were being an ass then!" she proclaimed. She leaned against the door, ready for an apology from the grumpy man in front of her.

Jason took a long look at her. It wasn't like her outburst offended him, or even scared him. If it had any affect on him at all, it impressed him. It wasn't everyday that he met someone that would openly express their anger, and tell him straight up that he was a jerk. She might be annoying, but she had guts. The only reason why he left without saying a word was because of he knew too well of releasing so much frustrations. At that moment, there was nothing that he could have said that would had calmed her down, or comfort her. The best thing was for her to cool off by herself, and just be alone for some time. Hell, that's what he always did when he felt like he was on a verge of a breakdown. He was _alone_, and it helped. To Jason, being alone was the solution to everything.

"I'm not apologizing for who I am," she scoffed after no response from Jason. "If you are uncomfortable with the fact that I am a prostitute, then here's a tip: don't have sex with me, and don't pay me for it. Problem solved Jaybird. Just because you, and practically everyone else, think that I'm some whore, doesn't mean that-"

"Whoa, when did I ever call you a whore?" Jason questioned. His face was painted with confusion as he watched Charlie start another rant. He didn't say one word, and suddenly she was getting pissed off at him. "Why do you _always _think that someone is judging you, or underestimating you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," she whispered, crossing her arms. His last question shocked her, as well as offended her.

"You always think that someone is out to get you, or someone is disrespecting you in a way," he started. His voice was deep and slow. "The time in the alley, the roof, downstairs, _here_. I don't need, or even _want _you to apologize for your past, present, or future. And I am not uncomfortable with you being a prostitute. You did what you had to do. You're_ surviving_. Why would I ever have a problem with that?" This girl was a piece of work.

Her eyes widened with shock as she watched him getting worked up. He didn't sound defensive, and he didn't sound like he was lying. He almost sounded pleading. Like he genuinely wanted her to know that he was not out to get her. But still..

"Then why did you just storm off?" she scoffed.

Jason gave out a frustrated grunt. It's as if she didn't want to let herself believe that he meant no harm- or that _anyone _meant no harm. She wouldn't let her guard down one second. Then again, neither would he.

"I didn't storm off, I walked away. I walked away to give you some space. You were obviously pissed off, and it looked like you needed some time to yourself."

Charlie's face filled with realization that maybe, just _maybe_, Jason wasn't a huge ass. Maybe he was just trying to let her have some alone time, and maybe he didn't really think that she was a whore. "Oh.."

"Yeah," he said plainly. Silence erupted into the room, as both of them just looked around the room- and not at each other. Charlie felt a tad embarrassed, and didn't want Jason to see it. Jason, on the other hand, just felt awkward. He didn't deal quite well with emotional moments, if this even qualified as one. But something about Charlie intrigued him. "Look, if you want me to say that I'm sorry.. then I'm sorry."

Charlie finally made eye contact with him, and to his surprise, gave a small smile. It looked sweeter than her regular smirk. "Don't.. apologize. You don't have to, okay? If anyone should apologize it should be me. I kind of devoured all of your beer."

Jason gave her a quizzical look, before mustering up a grin. "You think you can handle some more?" He got up from his bed, and slowly made his way to the collection of liquor settled on top of his dresser. He looked through the bottles, before deciding on two. "Whisky, or scotch?"

Charlie transformed her sweet smile, into a devious smirk. Now this was going to be a fun night. "Both." She plopped herself on his bed, as he filled two glasses with whisky. He handed her a glass and sat next to her, taking a long sip and feeling the whisky travel down his throat.

Charlie laid down on her side, resting her head on one of her hands, while the other one playfully whirled her glass around. The two enjoyed their drinks in silence, something that they didn't have a problem with. Jason was surprised to find himself not annoyed with her automatic comfortableness on her bed. After a few minutes passed by, Charlie decided to propose something. "In the mood for a drinking game, Jaybird?"

Jason poured himself another glass full, and muttered "Jason" under his breath, before giving Charlie a curious look. "Got something in mind?"

Charlie grinned, excitement in her eyes. She got up from her position on her side, and sat next to Jason. Although she was in the center of the bed, and he was by the foot, they were still pretty close. "Never have I ever. I'll say something that I had never done, and if it turns out that you did, you have to take a sip. Then it's your turn, and we keep playing until one of us gets shitfaced."

Jason thought about it for a few seconds. He wasn't exactly a party game type of person. But then again, they were stuck with each other and would either get into another fight, or die from boredom. "Fuck it, let's go."

Charlie bounced on the bed a bit, excited to have some fun. The past three days were filled with intense complications, and God knows that she needed some fun right about now. Even if the only person to keep her company was Jason.

"Alright, I'll go first! Never had I ever.." she debated on what to say. "pissed on the streets."

She only expected to say it as a joke, but to her surprise, Jason took a sip from his glass. "It was 2 AM, I was drunk, and there was an empty alley," he explained.

Charlie just responded with a look of disgust, before telling him that it's his turn.

"Never had I ever.. dyed my hair." He grinned as he saw the fury lightly light up in Charlie's eyes.

Charlie snorted and took a long sip from her glass. "Cheap shot! Never saw an Asian with light brown hair?"

Jason shook his bed and chuckled, wanting to ask something that he wondered ever since he met her. "I also never saw an Asian with green eyes and freckles before. What are you anyways?"

Charlie smirked as she leaned in closer to Jason. "I'm your guardian angel, Jaybird," she teased.

"More like the devil," he retorted. "Nah, but seriously. What's your ethnicity?"

"I thought we were playing 'Never had I ever', not 21 questions," she said giving a playful pout. "Okay, okay, if it really interests you that much.. my mother is Chinese. And I won't even bother with my father, because I don't even know that bastard's name. But as my mom described him, he was a 'white man who paid a lot of money.' So I guess I'm half Chinese and half White." She shrugged as she grabbed the bottle of Whisky from Jason's hands. It never really bothered her that she never met her father. It wouldn't had changed anything.

"Paid a lot of money..?" Jason gave her a serious look. Was her mom a prostitute too?

Charlie ignored his curiosity and decided to continue on with the game. "I got a good one! Never had I ever.. played superhero at night."

"Now who's taking the cheap shot?" he murmured as he took another sip. He can clearly see that she didn't want to talk about her mother, so he let it slide. Some things were better left unsaid. Or until they were ready to be said. "Never had I ever had my own pet," he said lamely. He didn't know what else to say, because honestly he had done_ a lot._

Charlie kept the glass in her hands, not moving it towards her lips. "Me neither Jaybird," she sang. Perhaps the alcohol was finally starting to kick in. "Just out of curiosity, if you could have your own pet, what would it be?"

Jason thought about it for a while. It wasn't exactly something that entered his mind a lot. He got so used to being alone, that he didn't even bother think about getting a pet. "A dog, I guess." He shrugged his shoulders.

"A dog? How ordinary," Charlie scoffed.

Jason chuckled, trying to imagine himself having a dog like Ace. "What about you then? Let me guess, a kitten? Bunny? Parrot? Snake?"

"Fox," she answered.

"A fox?" Jason questioned. "I'm pretty sure that those are illegal."

"You're making it sound like we both care about what the law has to say," she teased. "But yeah, I would defiantly want a fox. I mean they're fucking badass, and I probably wouldn't want to keep one in the house. But if I could, I would." Jason could see why she was so fond of foxes. A fox was a symbol of cleverness, mischief, and charm. Qualities that the animal shares with the girl sitting by him.

Charlie gave Jason one of her famous deceitful smirks as she refilled both of their glasses to the top. "Okay, enough with the kiddy games. Let's have some fun." Jason cocked an eyebrow. He was confused, intrigued, and a bit scared of what she had in mind. "Never had I ever," she said, "been part of a threesome."

Jason's face took the form of multiple expressions: shock, confusion, realization, and finally a sly grin of his own. Being proud of what he has done, he took a long sip. Charlie let out a huge laugh that filled the room, and sarcastically clapped her hands.

"Well, well," she mused. "Looks like little Jaybird got some game." There was a spark in her eyes, as she looked at him like a prey. "Tell me about it."

Jason's grin spread further as he remembered the actions of that night. He wasn't exactly one to kiss and tell, but who was he to deny the world of his stories? He might be a grump, but he was also a sex god- a _proud _one. Maybe it was because he was starting to get a bit tipsy, or maybe it was because he just felt chatty, but Jason suddenly felt himself getting into the game. "Which one?"

Charlie playfully threw a pillow at him and bursted into another fit of laughter. "You dirty bastard! Tell me _one_. I don't want to hear about what kind of STDs you got."

Now it was Jason's turn to throw his head back and laugh. _Laugh_. Not a chuckle, but a full energetic laugh. "Alright, alright. Uh, I guess the most memorable one happened two years ago in Russia. I just finished putting some jerk in jail, and decided to celebrate by getting drunk. I was in the bar, when this girl comes to me. She's fucking hot, and asked me to dance. Now let me tell you this right now, I do _not_ dance. So instead I bought her to my hotel room and we had some fun. Next thing I know, she's telling me about her friend who just got her heart broken by her ex boyfriend. She asked if she could invite her over, and of course I said yes. And let's just say that the next morning, the girl couldn't remember her ex boyfriend's name anymore."

"Damn, Jaybird. I was right back in the club, you _do _know how to have fun."

"What about you? No perv paid you to have a threesome, before?"

Charlie automatically rolled her eyes. "Believe it or not, but threesomes are actually not on the prostitute menu. Felix is scared that he lets guys have two girls alone with a customer, they might gang up on him and try to escape. Remember, not _all of them _are volunteers."

Jason looked at Charlie hard. Her voice had a hint of bitterness, and anger. When she mentioned escaping, her eyes dimmed a bit. He questioned how many times she tried to escape from Felix. It couldn't had been easy for her, because of her connections to him. "Are you a volunteer?"

She looked at him straight in the eyes, and without hesitating she gave him an unexpected answer."No." She took a deep sigh and held the glass in her hands a bit harder. "My mother was big on drugs. She loved them all: ecstasy, coke, mushrooms, you name it. She loved her drugs, even more than she loved me.."

Her voice was starting to crack, and she took her eyes off of Jason. She didn't want him to see vulnerability in her eyes. "When my mom died five years ago, she left behind a huge debt. To buy her drugs, she gambled. _A lot_. So I guess you can say that on top of being a crackhead, she was also a gambling addict.. She never got in trouble with any of her dealers or gambling buddies, mainly because Felix was always providing her with money. But when she died, she left me alone with him.." Tears started to slowly form in her eyes, but she tried to blink them away. It had been a while since she talked about her mom. Her voice got quiet, almost like a whisper. "I was fourteen.. and Felix told me that I was now responsible for paying him back the money that my mom spent. Felix, being the _sweet _man that he is, offered me two choices. Either I find a way to pay him back, or I find a way to live on the streets. So, I became a prostitute. _This _is what I chose, but it's not what I want. I'm proud of myself for stepping up and taking care of the shit that my mom left behind. But no, I am not a volunteer. Because even if Felix gave me two choices, there really wasn't one. I was fourteen. I didn't have any place to go. I _still _don't have any place to go.."

Jason stared at Charlie, who was looking out the window. The sky was filled with darkness, except for the stars that brightened it. He wondered what she was thinking about, as her gaze was intense and almost remote. To be in that position at the age of only fourteen.. So this is why she wanted Felix gone so badly. He was practically forcing her to be a prostitute. He understood way too much of how it feels to have a mother with an addiction. When she spoke about how her mother loved her drugs more than she loved her own child.. He knew how that felt too. Earlier, when she said that she even had to nurse her mother, Jason could only imagine what she had to nurse her from. Did she have to nurse her wounds? Or hangovers? She was more than a survivor now, she was a warrior. Charlie Sage, the girl that he had just met by fate, knew what it was like to battle their own demons. His thoughts were interrupted by an almost inaudible question that flushed the color from his face.

"Never have I ever.. killed someone."

Jason sat still, not moving an inch. Charlie still wasn't looking at him, her gaze fixed on the stars outside. But she knew. Somehow, she _knew_. He was a vigilante, he took crime into his own hands. She heard the stories of the infamous Red Hood, and his conflicts with the Dark Knight of Gotham. She knew about the stuff he did. Jason broke his stare on Charlie and looked at the drink in his hand. He brought the glass to his lips and chugged it, emptying the glass from all the Whisky in it. He got up from his seat and walked over to his dresser. He grabbed the bottle of Scotch and poured it into his glass.

"How many?" Charlie whispered.

Jason leaned against his dresser, and stared into his drink. He stirred it a bit and looked off to the side, avoiding her face. "I lost count."

She finally turned her head to face him. "Oh.." Why did she sound so surprised? It wasn't like she expected him to not kill anyone. She expects him to kill Felix, so why is she so surprised? She remembered the bruises, and scars that littered his bare chest. How many scars and bruises did he leave on others? "Did they deserve it?"

Jason took a sigh and a sip of scotch. Why did he have to defend his actions to this girl? He only knew this girl for three days, and he didn't owe her anything. He didn't owe her an explanation, an apology, anything. Still, a part of him didn't want her to think that he was a monster- even if he really was. "All of them," he said in a low voice. "They were murderers, serial rapists, drug lords, all kinds of fucked ups."

"I see," Charlie said. Her voice sounded monotone and remote. She was looking straight at Jason, but her voice sounded as if it was somewhere else. Jason wondered if she was disgusted by him, or feared him. He quickly emptied his thoughts, when he realized that he shouldn't care one bit about what she thought of him. After all, he was just babysitting her. She meant nothing him, and he meant nothing to her. So why did he care so much?

"What now, princess?" he sneered. "You think I'm some kind of monster now?"

Charlie got up and stood by the foot of the bed. A monster? Charlie knows monsters- _lives _with monsters. Jason was no monster.

"My mother was a prostitute too, you know? Before she married Felix, she was a prostitute," Charlie said. Her voice was still dry and detached. "They kind of met because he was one of her girls. I don't think she loved Felix, just his money. So she married him for financial reasons. I was only twelve when that happened. We weren't exactly a family though. Felix never really cared for me, he only saw me as an extension of my mother. My mother tried to love me, at least I think she did. She tried to be involve in my life, and even gave me a new home to live in with a new father. But she never even loved herself, so how could she love me? She always fell back to her drugs, and gambling."

"Why are you telling me this?" Jason asked slowly. Jason put down the bottle of Scotch. What did her mother have to do with this? Was she avoiding his question? Does this mean that she really does think of him as a monster now?

"One day I came home from school," Charlie continued. "I think that I was excited because I had just made honor roll or something. I don't know, some stupid academic shit. But I was happy.. until Felix came up to me and told me that my mother had died. He said that it was a drug overdose, and that I was under his care." Charlie hesitated before finishing. Her voice dropped down to a hushed whisper. "I wasn't allowed to see the body, but I did. I saw my mother in her bedroom, lying on the floor, covered in _blood _with a _knife_ in her stomach. She didn't die from a drug overdose, Jason. That was _not _a fucking drug overdose.."

Tears started falling from her eyes now, and her voice was cracking. Without even being aware of what he was doing, Jason started to take a few steps towards Charlie. "Charlie.."

"Felix killed my mother. He fucking _killed_ her and then _lied_ to me about it. I know monsters, Jason. _Felix _is a monster. He killed my mother, forces girls into prostitution, and sells drugs that are killing people. _That _is a monster. Not you, okay? You are _not_ a monster."

Her tears now turned into uncontrollable sobs. Jason was now standing right in front of her. She never told anyone about this. She never told anyone about how she snuck into her mom's room and saw the body. Or how she knows that Felix murdered her mother. She never trusted anyone to tell them before. She couldn't stop the tears that were falling from her eyes, and she couldn't control the pain in her heart. She held all of this in for so long, she didn't know how to handle it. She suffered so much, witnessed so much, and experienced so much. There was no escaping her vulnerability.

Jason watched as the same girl that would give him shit for thinking that she was incapable of fighting, was slowly breaking down in front of him. He wasn't one for dealing with emotions, and usually didn't know what to do or say. But somehow, his body and mind moved on their own. His hands reached up and cupped Charlie's face, which was wet from her tears. He tilted her head up, so that she was gazing into his eyes.

"We are going to get Felix. Alright? _We_. We are going to put that fucking bastard behind bars, because death will be a mercy for him. He will get what he deserves. I promise you."

Charlie looked into his eyes, and saw that they were filled with seriousness, and determination. She nodded her head and whispered a weak "thank you".

She was right. Jason was not a monster.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Okay, I know that I said I hate Author's Notes. But I'm going to do another one.**

**First thing's first! We finally get some background information on Charlie! And that her last name is Sage.**

**I just want to point out a moment that I want you guys to notice- when Jason offers Charlie either whisky or scotch, it's the same drinks that Charlie complained is never offered to girls in the first chapter. And yeah, I'm just happy about that part. :)**

**And to those who thought that Jason and Charlie were going to kiss at the end of the chapter, I'm sorry to disappoint you! But I think that at this point, Jason and Charlie are just getting to know each other. They are obviously physically attracted to each other, but that's about it. I don't want to rush them getting together, so bear with me.**

**Again, thank you for the reviews!**


	6. Addictions

Charlie sat up in cold sweat and short breaths. Her muscles were aching, her nose was running, and she felt as if the walls around her were closing in. She felt like absolute shit, and it wasn't because of her drinking from earlier. Charlie struggled to get up, feeling the weight of her head multiple by ten. She glanced at the clock which read 3:08 AM. After their little drinking game last night, and her mild breakdown, both her and Jason decided to get some rest. She half expected him to throw her out of his room, but to her surprise he offered to take the couch. No matter how badly she tried, she couldn't get even a second of sleep. She just laid in bed, thinking about everything that happened during the past few days. But she knew that this wasn't the reason for her insomnia, or her shitty mood. It has been around three days since she met Jason and Dick, and two days since she ran away with them. Two days since she left Felix, and two days since she left her _drugs_. Charlie groaned once she realized why she was feeling this way. She was going through withdrawal.

Growing up with a drug addicted mother, Charlie never expected that she'll inherit her love for drugs. She always thought that she was better than that, and that she would never spiral like her mother always did. But once her mother died, and she was forced into prostitution, Charlie didn't have control over her life anymore. She was only fourteen when she started sleeping with men twice, even three times, her age. She needed something to help relieve her from everything going on in her life. She needed an escape, even if momentarily. So she turned to drugs, just like her mother did. She developed an addiction to narcotics: opium, codeine, and oxycodone, her prime addiction. She would had expanded her taste to Felix's new drug Scarlet, but Jason and Dick got her out before she had to resort to that. She wasn't exactly proud of her addiction. She was dependent on these drugs to survive, and to make her numb for a while.

And right now she went two days without taking anything. The drinks from earlier only helped so much, but it couldn't meet her desires. She felt her anxiety starting to heighten and knew that she needed to get her hands on something._ Anything_. Charlie remembered seeing Jason take some painkillers the day before, to help deal with his gunshot wounds. Even if they weren't as strong as oxycodone, and can't provide her with the same relief, it was still better than nothing. She slowly got out of bed and made her way out the bedroom door. She was careful to slowly walk down the stairs, not wanting to wake up Jason from the annoying creaks the stairs made. One step at a time, she tried to keep her weight off her feet. It was easier said than done since her headache made her feel a bit dizzy, and her shortage of breath made it difficult to walk down simple steps. But once she finally made it down, she glanced over at the couch only to see that it was empty. She looked around her surroundings and noted that there was no one in sight. Jason must have decided to take a "walk", which in vigilante terms meant leaping from roof to roof and beating up petty criminals.

A part of her was relieved that he wasn't here, making everything 10 times easier. She didn't have to worry about him waking up to her basically stealing his pills. And she didn't have to explain herself or be judged by him. The other part of her, the part that was her annoying conscience, worried about him. He had barely recovered from three gun shots, even if one just grazed him. In fact, he still had a damn bullet still inside of him. The last thing he needs right now is to be running around in a helmet. Charlie concluded that her new drinking buddy was either reckless, stubborn, stupid, or all three combined.

Nevertheless, she only had one thing on her mind: getting those pills. Without wasting anytime, she quickly scavenged through his drawers and cabinets, searching for a little pill, any pill. Charlie released a heavy sigh once she opened a cabinet that revealed dozens of packets of painkillers. She thanked whatever higher power there is that she was currently residing at the home of a vigilante, someone who needs to stock up on as much painkillers possible. She quickly grabbed two vials of pills and closed the cabinet, before making her way back to the bedroom.

Once she was comfortably back on the bed, she spilled three little tablets onto the palm of her hand. Without any hesitation, she popped them into her mouth and threw her head back to swallow them. Instantly, she felt her anxiety lower a bit. Even if it wouldn't give her the same thrill that she craved for, it was enough to give her a good nights rest. She hid the two vials that she took underneath the pillow and laid her head down, ready for sleep to engulf her.

* * *

><p>Charlie gave out a frustrated sigh as she tried to turn on the stove. It was early in the morning, and she had a massive hangover. Her initial plan was to cook something like eggs to satisfy her grumbling stomach. Unfortunately, she came to the conclusion that Jason had never cooked a meal in his life, since the only stove in his apartment doesn't function. She resorted to aiding her hangover by drinking water and eating the bread she managed to find in the cabinet. The only thing she missed about Felix's mansion was the elegant kitchen stocked with as much food and snacks that pleasured her. Now, all she had was beer, bread, a few fruits, instant noodles, more beer, and more bread. She looked over her shoulder to see her bread loving host snoring away on the couch, who must had returned home when she fell fast asleep. Just like when he got shot, his face is calm and peaceful. She felt her lips curl into a smile, remembering their conversation the previous night. It was the first time that she let her guard down, allowed her walls to break, and showed someone just how vulnerable she is. It was also the first time she saw a different side of him. He wasn't just the man in the red hood, who only wanted to take out Felix. He wasn't the same man with the furrowed eyebrows, and the grim frown. He was different. She couldn't exactly describe it, but she didn't sense the usual "I must complete my mission" atmosphere. Instead, she felt safe and protected.<p>

She decided at that moment to do something nice for him and rummaged through his fridge, bringing out a stick of butter. She found a knife and a toaster, and proceeded to spread some butter onto a piece of toast. A part of her died a little from the fact that she was actually making him breakfast, even if it was as simple as toast and butter. First it'll start off with butter, then before she knows it, she's making him a sandwich and bringing him a bottle of beer in a flowery apron, with a 50's hairdo. She spread the butter a bit harder than necessary, just picturing herself being ridiculed into that position. She was Charlotte Sage. If she was serving any man food like a stereotypical housewife, then there better be poison involved. She took a quick glance at the snoring man on the couch. He was the only exception, and this was the only time. But so God help her, if she ever hears him mumble "get back to the kitchen", she would not hesitate one bit to head to the kitchen and grab a knife to detach his precious pride of masculinity.

She placed the two pieces of toast on a plate, next to a glass of orange juice. Beside it was a little note that she scribbled down for when he woke up. Charlie then carefully walked up the steps, and headed straight to his bathroom. Right now, she needed a long bath to wash off the stench of alcohol.

* * *

><p><em>"So pumpkin, what hurts more? A.." Jason felt excruciating pain soar through his spine as the metal crowbar pounded against him. ".. or B?"<em>

_The young Robin's pride restrained him from screaming out in agony, and instead clenched his teeth together. He raised his head up with the little strength he had and looked straight into the eyes of his torturer. Pale skin painted white. Hair dyed green. Lips colored red that were curled into a sickening grin. Laughs that echoed throughout the warehouse. **Joker**._

_"Where is the big o' bats? Is he coming to save his precious little birdy?" Joker got down on his knee by the beaten Robin and leaned in closer, so that his red lips were right by his ears. In a low voice he snickered, "Don't worry, boy. I'm going to pluck all of your pretty little feathers off.. one.. by.. one.." Joker threw his head back and filled the warehouse with his sound of his laugh. Jason wanted nothing more than to slam the crowbar right through his throat, but couldn't move his hands. They were tied behind his back and he was laying in a puddle of his own blood. With his hands tied up, Jason could only think of one way to give Joker a big "fuck you". He pulled his head back a bit and spat blood right on his face. Joker grunted and wiped away the blood before slamming the bloodied Robin's face right on the floor, causing more blood to be spilled._

_"The first Robin had more class, kid." Joker sneered._

_Jason just picked up his head and grinned, with his bloody mouth and cracked teeth. If this is the end for him, then he might as well end it as Jason Todd, and not just as a Robin replacement._

_"But you know what, kid? I like you. You got spunk, you got that special spark. You can take on a good ol' beating like a man. She, on the other hand.." Joker pointed the bloodied crowbar at the woman on the other side. Her cheeks were stained with tears, and her eyes were screaming with frightened thoughts. Her mouth was taped over, and her hands were tied. Jason looked at her, with his own eyes screaming. They were screaming betrayal, regret, pain, and **worry**. Jason looked straight into the eyes of the woman who led him to where he is right now. The blonde woman who tricked him and handed him over to the Joker. The woman who he thought he could trust and love, but only ended up hurting him. Jason looked straight into the eyes of his mother.._

Jason suddenly woke up, with sweat dripping down his forehead and his hands clutched by his sides. He sat up and put his head in his hands, breathing heavily. It had been the same dream he had ever since he came back to Gotham, and yet each one was more terrifying than the previous. On days where he managed to get any rest at all, they were disrupted by his mind replaying the same scenes over and over again. He couldn't remember the last time he had an actual good nights rest.

Suddenly, the smell of toast invaded his nostrils. He picked his head up and spotted a plate of toast next to a glass of orange juice. Curious, he made his way over to the kitchen counter and noticed a piece of paper next to the breakfast.

_Jaybird, don't say I never did anything for you._

_P.S. What is with you and bread? Seriously, go grocery shopping. Oh, and buy a new stove  
><em>

Jason rolled his eyes and took a bite from the toast. Leave it up to her to ruin a generous gesture by complaining about something, or being her usual sassy self. Still, he had to admit that this wasn't the _worst _thing to wake up to. Especially to wake up from a nightmare to. It wasn't anything comparable to Alfred's cooking, but it was still better than nothing. Usually he would had just skipped out on breakfast, being too lazy to make anything. He felt a slight piercing pain shoot through his head, and remembered how much he drank the previous night. He also remembered his conversation with a certain girl.

It wasn't exactly like him to be the one comforting someone. He wasn't sensitive, or soft. If he wanted to comfort someone, he would had brought them out drinking or to beat the shit out of a few people, or maybe even tell them to grow the fuck up. He got the drinking part done with Charlie, but how did he end up doing the last part? The part where he gently placed his hands on her face, and looked at her straight in the eyes with such sincerity. The part where he consoled her, and reassured her that _they _were going to get Felix. _Together._ How did Jason end up being Dick?

Why did he actually feel sympathy for her? He wasn't a robot, and he didn't lack emotions, but he sure as hell don't comprehend them. He said it himself that he doesn't deal well with emotional moments. They make him feel awkward, and out of place. So why did he stay with her? Why did he hang on to every single word that she said? Why did he actually _want _to find the words that was going to comfort her, and make her believe that everything was going to be okay? What was this girl doing to him?

All of these questions made Jason's headache explode even more. Maybe it was because he could relate to her so much. She grew up without knowing her father's name, and with a drug addicted mother who tried, but failed, to love her. He grew up wishing that he never_ knew_ his father, and had his own drug addicted mother. Step-mother, that is. He later found his biological mother who didn't even try to love him. She had to do what she had to in order to survive, while he had to fight to survive. She was clearly just as emotionally unstable as he was. So maybe that's why he felt different around her. It is _because _they are so alike, that he felt comfortable enough to comfort her. It wasn't like he was talking to a damaged prostitute crying her eyes out. It was more like he was talking to himself, someone who is struggling and fighting.

"The boy sure does love his bread."

Jason turned around to face the very same girl that was intruding his thoughts. She was still wearing his shirt, and her hair was damp, most likely from making herself comfortable in his shower. She made her way over to the counter where he was standing, and took a seat across from him on a stool. She fidgeted a bit, trying to make herself comfortable, and reached over to snatch the second piece of toast on Jason's plate. Jason replied with annoyance in his eyes, as he took a sip from the glass of orange juice. He proceeded to finish his piece of toast, as he listened to her rambling her mouth.

"You should appreciate this, Jaybird. I don't usually cook for anyone, so consider yourself my only exception."

"You didn't cook anything," Jason snorted. "You placed two slices of bread into my toaster, and splat a little too much butter onto them. Congratulations, you're a chef."

Charlie playfully stuck her tongue out, as she swallowed the last bite of toast. "Well maybe if you invested some of the money you use to buy your little toys into actually having a functional stove, then maybe I could had cooked a real meal."

"Yeah, cause I'm sure that you're a natural in the kitchen." He brought the plate and empty glass to the sink and washed them. His apartment might be old and run down, but it wasn't messy. He didn't care much for decorations, or any of that home decor stuff, but he did prefer not to live in a dumpster. He had his occasional mess here and there, like a few empty bottles laying around, or clothes crumbled on the floor. But his time in Wayne Manor, and influences from Alfred, made him accustomed to living as neat as possible.

"I'm also a natural in the bedroom," Charlie mused. "Back in Felix's I tended to spend most of my time around the kitchen with the cooks. It was either take on a hobby with them, or die from boredom in that shithole. I would spend hours in the kitchen, learning as much recipes as I can out of pure boredom."

"So you're a skilled fighter, can handle a gun with good aim, able to nurse gunshot wounds, and now you cook too? Why don't you run for Miss Gotham or something."

"Ha ha ha," Charlie said sarcastically. "And become one of those Barbies? I think I'll pass."

"You're right, you can't be a pageant girl. Because that'll mean that you will actually have to be classy."

"Hey!" Charlie smirked with amusement. "I can totally be classy. Fuck you."

Jason wiped down the plate and couldn't help but fill the room with his laugh. "I think you just ruined any chance of being classy by saying 'fuck you'." Charlie just grinned at his response. She would never admit it out loud and give him the satisfaction to his ego, but she did enjoy the sound of his laughter. It was different from his usual chuckles, or sarcastic laughs. It was genuine and actually sounded happy. She also felt proud that she was the one that made him laugh. She watched as Jason slightly winced from the pain of putting the plate back into the cabinet above him. She suddenly remembered his absence earlier and had to admit that she was curious to know where he disappeared to. "So, where did you run off to after our little cliched moment last night?"

"Cliched?" Jason scoffed. "Are you upset that I didn't stick around to cuddle or something?"

"Ew, gross. I am _not_ a cuddler, Jaybird." She scrunched her face is slight disgust. She wasn't afraid of sexual intimacy, but physical intimacy like cuddling? Out of the question. "I came downstairs around 3 AM for.." She hesitated a bit, but quickly recovered. "..some water. And I saw that the place was cold and empty, much like your soul." The last part wasn't necessary, but she felt like as if the day wouldn't be complete if she didn't tease him at least a couple of times.

"Cold and empty, huh?" Jason leaned against the sink with his arms crossed. He couldn't help the look of amusement that took over his face. Since when did her sass go from annoying him to amusing him? "Well this cold and empty soul here was out looking for Dick. You know, trying to find out where we are with this whole Felix thing, and to see how much longer I have to babysit you, Freckles."

"_Freckles?_" Her face was a mixture of confusion, and disgust. Freckles was not on her list of things she enjoyed being called.

"Keep calling me Jaybird, and I'll keep calling you Freckles." Jason gave her a smug grin. If she thought that she had the upper hand here, then she was wrong.

Charlie let out a disgruntled sigh. She wasn't too fond of the nickname Freckles, but she didn't want to let him win. "Well, _Jaybird. _What did Dick say?"

Jason shifted his body, straightening his posture. "Why don't you ask him yourself?" He nodded his head towards his brother who had just entered through his doorway. Charlie whipped her head around and immediately broke out into a smile. With Dick here, it means that there is definitely some progress in the situation with Felix.

"Well, well, look who it is. And here I thought that you forgot about little o' me," Charlie teased as she swung her body around on the stool to face him. "Any updates?"

Dick gave her a sweet smile, before noticing her current attire. "How about some updates on you two? I'm guessing that you two had some fun yesterday," he teased.

Charlie automatically looked down and remembered that she was still wearing Jason's shirt, and her hair was still damp from her shower. Both her and Jason's faces flushed with embarrassment as they tried to defend themselves.

"Fuck! It's not what you think!" she exclaimed.

"Shut the fuck up." Jason cursed at the same time.

Dick couldn't help but laugh at the sight of their ridiculous faces. He walked over to the kitchen counter and laid out some files.

"What are these?" Charlie asked confused, with her face still slightly red.

"When I hacked Crow's laptop, I also managed to save everything from the hard-drive onto a little flash drive that I took. While you two were playing house, I went through most of the contents that looked relevant on the hard-drive and printed them out. This," he handed over a slim folder to Jason to look through, "is all of the records Crow has on the shipments her receives. It states all of the time, places, and days of when and where he receives the shipments of Scarlet. Now that would had been useful if-"

"If there was a set time, place, and day." Jason finished, closing the file that he skimmed through.

"Right. All of those places are completely different from the other. They're at random, with no sure pattern," Dick added. "We can't conclude where the next shipment is going to be. We only know that it's going to happen within the next two weeks."

Charlie reached over and grabbed another file, this one bigger than the one in Jason's hand. "What's this?"

Dick glanced over at the file that she was holding, and smiled, knowing that this one was specifically for her. "That would be all of the information there is to know about Crow's illegal sex trafficking. There's more than enough information there to convict him for life. All we have to do is slip it to Commissioner Gordon, and the police will have no choice but to take him in."

Charlie gasped a bit and brought the file up to her eyes, marveling it with thirsty eyes. All they had to do is make one little trip to the station, and she can finally breathe again. She can finally let go of the breath she's been holding in for five years. "This.. is enough to put Felix away?" She spoke slowly, as if she was trying to comprehend what was escaping form her lips. "Forever?"

Dick reached out a hand and placed it on her shoulder reassuringly "Forever, Charlie."

Charlie looked up at him and broke out in an ecstatic smile. _Forever_. She felt a huge weight being lifted off her shoulders. All of the trauma she had to go through for the past five years.. They can all be put to rest because of this file in her hands. Charlie couldn't contain her happiness any longer. She felt relieved, happy, and free. She jumped from her seat on the stool and gave Dick a big hug, something that caused Jason to unconsciously shift his body.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Dick chuckled and gently rubbed his hand on Charlie's back. "Don't thank me just yet, kid. We can't give the file in just yet."

Charlie's smile suddenly disappeared and she pulled away from Dick. Her eyes were fogged with confusion and anger. "_Just yet_? Wha- what do you mean? What are you waiting for? A fucking _parade_?" She was confused and disappointed. It was like someone dangled this ticket of freedom right in front of her, and just as she was about to grab it, they yanked it away. They had everything they needed right here, right now.

"We can't exactly let Crow go right now-"

"Because right now there are kids dying out there," Jason interrupted. His voice was harsh and rough. He didn't want to burst her bubble, the bubble that made her believe that everything was okay, because it wasn't. If anything, it was even more complicated than before. "There are innocent kids who are dying because of the drugs that Crow is selling, drugs that I _thought _he was producing too. But as it turns out, your pops is just another puppet, working for someone else. And until we find out just who that someone is, we can't let Crow go. He's our only lead."

Charlie took a few steps back, not wanting to understand. Maybe she was being selfish for wanting Felix gone right this second, but wasn't she also being self_less_? "Let's not forget that Felix is also the one responsible for hundreds of girls involved in sex trafficking, and tons of girls forced into prostitution! He tore innocent girls away from their homes and shipped them to some international country. An _international_ country, Jaybird. There's a fucking ocean between them and their families. So okay, maybe you guys are only targeting him because of his involvement with Scarlet, but don't you dare forget that his endless list of fucked up shit only ends there!"

"Charlie.." Dick tried to reason. "We know that you want Crow gone but-"

"Yes! I do want Felix gone! But not only for me, okay? I want him gone for all of the girls that have to suffer because of him! They have to _live_ and _suffer_ because they fear him! I want him gone for the girls who can't fight back because they're afraid that if they do, then they won't live to see another daylight! I want him gone for _them_!" Charlie refused to reason with anyone at this point. Her palms were getting sweaty, and her anxiety was amplifying again along with her temper. She started to feel her head pounding, her heart pounding at an accelerated rate, and her body drawing weak. _Fuck_, she thought. _Not again. Looks like Jaybird's painkillers weren't satisfying enough._ She felt herself going through another withdrawal, except this time it was worse, because she was right in front of Dick, and Jason.

"_Enough._" Jason's voice echoed through the small apartment. He didn't know what was her problem. Here she goes again, getting all defensive and anxious. Little did he know that all of _this _was driven from her withdrawal. Of course he experienced watching his step-mother go through the early stages of withdrawal, during those times when she swore off drugs. But just like how he grew up in an addicted household and swore to never involve drugs in his life, he assumed that she did the same. So he never thought of making the connections of her outbursts and anxiety to a withdrawal. He didn't _want_ to make those connections. A part of him did consider it for a moment when they first met. But after getting to know her a little better, he wanted to convince himself that this girl was strong enough not to fall and spiral. He wanted to believe that just from dealing with her mother was enough for her to live a life with a conscious mindset. But unknown to him, he believed wrong. "We want Crow to disappear too, believe me. We_ know_ that he isn't only wanted because of his involvement with Scarlet. It's just that right now, we have to play our cards safe. Kill two birds with one stone, a stone named Felix Crow. If we can just get a little bit more information on who the fuck the Shop is, then we can take down the Scarlet manufacturing and Crow's sex trafficking. So until we can do that, bear with us. I promised you that _we _will take down Crow, and we _will_. Okay? We will." Jason's voice slowly dissolved into a gentler tone.

Charlie felt her head getting heavy, and started to get light headed. This was not the time or the place to be going through this. She needed to get her hands on something stronger, something that will satisfy her needs. _She needed oxycodone_. She turned around so that her back was towards them, not wanting them to see that she was feeling like complete shit. Fidgeting with the hems of Jason's shirt, she knew that there was only one place to get it- Felix's place. She needed to go back and grab her stash, but at the same time, she needed Felix gone. So there was only one clear decision to be made. After all, just like Jason said, they needed to "kill two birds with one stone". She needed to go back to the house so she wouldn't die from withdrawal, and she also needed to quicken the pace with Felix's incarceration.

"Let me go back," she offered, shocking both brothers. "Let me go back to Felix. I.. I can say that I escaped from you two or some shit. I'll make up some lie so that he won't get suspicious. Then I can snoop around the house, you know? Like being a double agent or something. I can try to find out where the next shipment is going to be, and when it's going to take place."

Dick and Jason looked at each other with concerned expressions. She was capable of fighting, they knew that. But being undercover? Was she ready for that?

"Absolutely not," Jason snarled. "You can fight girl, I'll give you that, but do you know what it means to go undercover? It means that from the moment you step back into that house, you are on your own! It's going to be hard, and it's going to be dangerous. Dick won't be there to save your ass, _I _won't be there to save your ass. _No one_ is going to rescue you, because no one _CAN _rescue you!"

Charlie clenched her fists, partly because of Jason's aggravating words, and partly because she felt like she was going to faint. She turned back around to face them, and made sure to hide any signs of weakness in her eyes. "Well, you know what? Dick is not my knight in shining armor. _YOU_ are not my knight in shining armor. I do not need to be rescued, because I know exactly what I am getting myself into! It's going to be dangerous? You don't say, Sherlock?! Maybe something will happen, or maybe it won't. But the only clear thing right now is that you two need to keep tabs on Felix, and I am the closest connection to him you are going to get!"

"Are you fucking kid-" Jason was nearly shouting before he got interrupted.

"Okay," Dick asserted calmly.

Jason and Charlie both turned their attention onto Dick. They both forgot that he was in the same room, even though he was literally directly between their little quarrel. Charlie's face relaxed with satisfaction that at least one of them knew that she can do this. Jason's face, on the other hand, just scrunched up with more annoyance and frustration.

"What?! Dick, you can't be serious! She can't handle this!"

"Jason," Dick said calmly, facing his brother. "She's right. We have no idea how to get to the Shop, and she's our only connection to Crow. Right now, Crow thinks that she's kidnapped. She can return home and say that she escaped from us, and he won't get suspicious. We'll give her a communicator so that way we can help if anything goes south. She's not a prisoner in Crow's house, she can come and go as freely as she wants. If she hears anything that might be a clue about the location of the shipment, or an idea of who the Shop is, then we can always meet up here, or at the club. It's risky, but it's _not_ a bad idea."

Jason gave Dick a hard look and grunted before turning his back on the two of them. He placed his hands on the sink and lowered his head in frustration. He was clearly outnumbered, and Dick did have a good point. She wasn't in total danger, and it was their only choice. "Fine," he reluctantly agreed.

Charlie let out a breath that she didn't know she was holding, and immediately felt a sense of relief. She could go home to Felix and try to find out more about this Shop._ She could go home to her stash._

"So.. where do we begin?"


	7. Walls

_Charlie gazed at her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes were swollen and red, and her cheeks strained from tears that gracefully traveled along her freckled skin. She brought her unsteady hand up to wipe away a stray tear. Her body shivered from the cold air in the room attacking her bare skin. She stood in front of the mirror naked: stripped from her clothes, her dignity, her freedom, and her virginity. _

_She turned fer back towards the mirror- no longer able to look at herself without being disgusted at what she had just done. She walked towards the bed in the room and took a seat, tightening her fist around a few twenty dollar bills, green paper that no longer meant anything to her anymore. The room was empty, only bearing a single bed, mirror, and table. The light was dimmed, and her clothes were scattered around the floor. The only noise she could hear were the moans from the room next to her. Moans that reminded her of what took place just moments ago. _

_She was only fourteen and she had already lost her virginity to a man more than twice her age. Her virginity was stolen from her, and she doesn't even know the name of the thief. He called her sweet names, with his breath drenched in alcohol. He said that she was beautiful, gorgeous, and a good girl. He said that she was worth every single dollar he paid her- like she was some sort of merchandise. _

_Charlie felt her throat closing in once again, along with more tears gathering in her eyes. She was fourteen. A normal fourteen year old should be worrying about school, friends, and boys. Charlie's life was no longer normal, not that it ever was. She had to drop out of school, leaving behind all of her friends, and was now being treated as an object to be purchased by not boys- but men. _

_Charlie couldn't fight the lump in her throat any longer, and let a painful scream escape her lips. She threw the dirty money in her hand into the air, allowing it to scatter on the floor. She brought her knees up to bury her head in, as she sobbed over the realization of what her life now holds for her. She was not a normal fourteen year old girl. She was now a prostitute._

* * *

><p>Charlie stared into the mirror in front of her. She was standing in front of the mirror above Jason's dresser, preparing to be escorted back to the hell she had just escaped. Her hands pressed down on her bloodied silky top, the same one she wore when she escaped from Felix. This was all real, this was happening. She was returning to Felix with the slightest hope that she would be able to help take him down. Her eyes leveled onto the makeup circled around her eye, resembling a black eye courtesy to the handiwork of Twinkle Toes. If Felix was to believe that she was held captured for three days, it had to be believable.<p>

The thought of returning back to Felix made Charlie's palms sweat. She felt her head starting to throb and her throat beginning to close. Quickly, she made her way to the bed and reached underneath the pillow, pulling out the two pill bottles that she grabbed the previous night. She laid out three little tablets onto her hand and popped them into her mouth. She threw her head back and swallowed them, hoping that they would ease her anxiety. She held on tightly to the bottles, remembering the second reason as to why she decided to go back. Life with Felix had only scarred her so much, but even when she can be freed from him, would she ever be freed from her addiction?

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of faint frustrated grunts. Curious, she quickly stuffed the bottles between the mattress and the headboard, and walked out of the room to investigate the source of the noise. Out in the hallway, the grunts became louder and she traced it to the only other slightly opened door. She always wondered what was behind the mysterious door, but always figured that it was just another closet that stored more guns or liquor. But her interest in the door returned due to the grunts and sounds of.. a punching bag? Charlie slowly took a few more steps towards the door and peeked through the slim opening. She was only able to make out the image of what seemed to be a shelf full of weights, and nothing else. Carefully, she pushed the door more, making sure not to cause any attention towards herself.

With the door now widely open, Charlie was able to have a better look at the room. It was marginally larger than the living the living room, but unlike it's noticeable lack of furniture, this room was furnished thoroughly. Along one side of the wall, there was a shelf full of weights, the same one that Charlie spotted earlier. Next to the weights was a very expensive looking stereo system. One of the walls in the room was fully covered by a mirror, and across from it on the other side of the room laid out a variety of other exercise equipment: an elliptical, a treadmill, and a bench press. In the far off corner of the room was a standing punching bag, the kind that resembled a man, and was currently being bashed on by none other than the Red Hood.

Charlie leaned against the frame of the door and watched as Jason bounced on the balls of his feet. His back was towards Charlie, something that was she was unsatisfactorily too familiar with, and his mind was focused on throwing his next punch. He threw his arm back before punching the side of the dummy's head. In that one punch, Charlie could feel all of the rage that it held. She felt it shiver down her spine, and knew that this was his escape. Normal people would find release in simple activities like listening to music, reading a book, or even just taking a quick nap. But Jason wasn't just an ordinary person. His way of releasing all of his tension was punching it out. He needed to physically feel all of the rage escaping his body. This was his escape. And Charlie didn't want to be the one to shatter it.

Just as carefully as she opened the door, she closed it and retreated back to Jason's bedroom, no longer wanting invading his space.

* * *

><p>Jason was so invested into throwing punches at the dummy, that he didn't notice he currently had an audience. He was further distracted by the pounding music that was blasted into his ears from his ear-buds. As far as Jason was concerned, the only ones in the room was himself and the dummy.<p>

As long as he can remember, his fists were always a stress reliever. To him, there was something about putting all of your stress, frustrations, and misery into one punch. Fighting solved all of his problems. From life on the streets, to his short lived time as Robin, and even to now, all he needed was his fists. The guns were an additional bonus, but what he really relied on were his fists.

Currently, Jason's frustrations were rooted to Felix Crow. He spent nearly a majority of his time in Gotham tracking him down. Building leads on him, observing his club, and making a strategy. His plans were twisted once he realized that he was wasting his time. Crow might had been the one marketing Scarlet, but he wasn't the one producing them. Nothing went according to his plan. He didn't plan on the existence of the mysterious "Shop". He didn't plan on dropping his main lead on Crow to focus on the identity of the producer. He didn't plan on meeting Charlie, and he defiantly did not plan on getting involved.

But here she was, right in the middle of it all. Part of it was because of her relationship to Crow, the other was because of her stubbornness. In just three days, he accidentally formed a connection with this young girl, even if he refused to acknowledge it. He was able to relate to her upbringing with a drug addicted mother, and knew of the pain of having them being taken from you. He understood her pain, her fury, and her rage. In just three days, he got to know Charlie more than he would had liked. He remembered how one simple drinking game lead to an unwanted invitation to look beyond the walls she closed herself in. Both of them didn't expect it, and he was sure that both of them really wanted it. But somehow, it happened. She confided in him and he saw a different side of her. He saw the side of her that he knew no one else saw, and part of him regretted seeing it. Because now she wasn't just a random girl that accidentally slipped her way into his mission. Now she was this stubborn, loud mouthed, surprisingly skilled, sensitive girl who slipped her way into his life.

Jason pulled his right arm back once again, ignoring the pain that escalated through his body due to the fact that he still wasn't properly fully healed from the shooting. He pressed all of his anger into that one fist and launched it into the dummy's head.

This girl was now in his life, whether he liked it or not. And now she was going to leave it by going back to Crow.

* * *

><p>"I thought I'd find you here."<p>

Dick stepped through the window and took a seat next to Charlie on the fire escape. She just turned her head and gave him a gentle smile. She then brought her legs to her chest, hugged it, and rested her head on top of her knees.

"I needed some fresh air," she responded, "to you know, clear my head." She returned her gaze into the night sky. "I didn't know that you can see this many stars in Gotham. They're usually hiding from all of the lights."

Dick followed her eyes and saw the stars that pained the sky. "This neighborhood is probably the only place in Gotham that you can see this many stars. It's like the 'forgotten' section of Gotham, because it's so old and run down that barely anyone lives here. There's nothing here but empty warehouses and decaying buildings."

"So why does Jaybird stay here? From the amount of guns he has, and who you two are, he could easily afford a nice penthouse in the upper class part of Gotham."

"He likes the isolation," Dick shrugged. "And what exactly did you mean by 'who you two are'?"

Charlie rolled her eyes and turned her head to face her. "Just because I didn't finish high school doesn't mean that I'm stupid. Your alias is Nightwing, but your real name is Richard, or Dick. Everyone in Gotham knows that before the finger stripes, you were the first Robin- the boy wonder. Now, you first became the big ol' bat's sidekick around ten years ago-"

"Thirteen years ago actually- I was only twelve when I started," Dick interrupted with a grin. Half of his cheerful response was because of his pride of fighting crime alongside Batman before reaching the age of puberty. The other half was due to his amusement of watching her being a detective.

"Okay thirteen years then, _old man_", Charlie teased. "Anyways, back then the only news bigger than Robin was Gotham's finest billionaire adopting an orphan. An orphan who was raised in the circus and is quite the twinkle toes. Am I right, _Richard John Grayson_? _  
><em>

Dick chuckled and opened his mouth to respond, but before he can say anything, he was interrupted.

"Now," Charlie continued, "at first I thought that this was a huge coincidence. But then I started thinking some more. Some time after little Robin sprouted his wings and became Nightwing, the same billionaire, your daddy, adopted a second son, _Jason Peter Todd_. This is also the same year that Batman got himself a new Robin. So, conclusion? You are Richard Grayson, Jaybird is Jason Todd, you both were Robins to Batman who we can conclude is.."

"Bruce Wayne," Dick answered with a bigger grin. This girl just continued to fascinate him.

Charlie raised a finger and wagged it at him. "Bingo!" she exclaimed. "Now, one of the mysteries is, why does Jaybird choose to live in this shithole? He has a billion dollar daddy, and yet he doesn't even have a working stove."

Dick's grin softened a bit, and he turned to stare into the sky again. "Jason will always think of himself as the failure- the black sheep of the family. Things were.. much worse before. Everything is better now, but.. Jason will always look at himself as the black sheep. He refuses to accept help from any of us, which is why we couldn't bring him back to the manor when he got shot." Dick chuckled a bit. "He calls us the 'Bat brats'."

Charlie continued to look at him, and hugged her legs even tighter. "So where how can he afford all of his guns, motorcycles, and exercise machines?"

"He provides his service to people. If some big shot wants to scare their competitor into backing off, they hire the Red Hood. If someone needs him to rescue something or something for them, they pay him _a lot_ of cash." Suddenly, Dick's voice got slightly lower. "Sometimes, someone needs him to kill someone off."

Charlie mouthed the word "oh". She remembered back to their conversation after their little drinking game the other night. She remembered how nervous she was when she asked him if he killed anyone, and how troubled he looked when he answered it. How he almost looked like he was worried that she would think that he was a monster.. "But they deserved it right?" she whispered.

Dick faced her again and gave her a warming smile. "Jason's not heartless. Every blood that spilled because of him deserved it. It's not the same moral code that I, or even Batman, choose to follow, but they all do deserve it." His reassurance made Charlie feel better, but only temporarily. Because immediately after, Dick asked her to share something that has been haunting her mind ever since she made the connection between Jason and the second Robin. "So what's the other mystery? You said that this was only one of it."

Charlie gulped and returned to look up at the sky. She hesitated a bit, deciding whether or not she should speak. "Jason was Robin.." Her voice was shaky and low. "And Jaybird is.. Jason Todd.."

"Uh huh.." Dick mumbled, trying to see where she was getting at.

"Dick. Jason Todd is _dead_. Bruce Wayne announced his death a few years after he adopted him. He said something about all illness or something. And at the same time, Batman started going solo. So if Jaybird really is Jason Todd.. I just.. Was his death a lie? Or did he come back as a ghost?"

Dick's eyes dropped to gaze at the floor below. He ignorantly forgot that since Charlie now knows their history as Robin, she would also know about his death. He can clearly see that she was bothered and confused. He didn't want to lie to her, because he could only imagine how many lies she had been told. But yet, he knew that it wasn't his place to tell him Jason's full history.

"It's.. complicated," Dick spoke slowly. He smiled. "He'll tell you one day, when he's ready."

Charlie ran her hand through her hair. She remembered how vulnerable she was when she spilled her heart out to him. More than once did she cry in front of him, something that she tried hard not to ever do. But he had yet did the same. "You sure about that? The dude is a caged bird. He has walls around him as high as the Great Wall of China," she sighed.

Dick couldn't help the cheeky smile that scraped across his face. "Walls aren't built to keep people out, kid. They're built to keep the ones inside safe," he said softly. "And sometimes, they are just meant to be torn down."

Charlie stared at him, her eyes unreadable. "That is really sweet.." she whispered. "Like I think you should write poems, and love letters." Her face broke into a grin, and her voice took a sarcastic tone. "I think that you should quit fighting crime and just become the next Nicholas Sparks. You know, write some romantic books and star in some romantic comedies."

Dick threw his head back and laughed with her, filling the empty streets.

At that moment, Jason just walked through the door of his bedroom, looking for a new shirt to wear. He was distracted by the sound of laughter and turned to see Charlie playfully slapping Dick's shoulder, after he made a snarky remark. The last time he had saw Charlie, she was emotional and was seemed out of it. Now, she was joyful, happy, and laughing. With Dick.

He went to his drawer and grabbed the first shirt he saw before walking out of the room, back to his gym.

* * *

><p>Jason let out a heavy grunt as he lifted a 100 pound barbell above him. Sweat dripped down his forehead as he brought it back down to his chest again, just to lift it back up.<p>

"Only 100, huh?" Dick teased as he walked in on Jason lifting the barbell. "Starting off soft I guess."

Jason rolled his eyes. "What do you want, Dick?"

Dick took a seat on the bench next to his brother. "It's almost time."

"For what?" Jason sneered, trying to concentrate on the weight on his chest.

"To bring Charlie back to Crow," Dick answered.

Jason grunted and lifted the barbell off of him, placing it on the bar above him. He sat up and grabbed a towel to wipe his face. Other than sweat, his face was filled with annoyance. "Well have a nice drive."

Dick handed Jason a water bottle that was laying on the floor. "You're not going to say goodbye or anything?" he frowned.

Jason took a gulp from his water and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Now why would I do that? If she has any information on Crow or the shipment, then I'll have a little chat with her. Until then, I hope you two have a nice ride together."

Now it was Dick's turn to roll his eyes. "And what is that suppose to mean, Jason?"

Jason stood up from the bench and walked over to a hanging punching bag. He opted out of using the boxing gloves, and used his bare hands instead. He bounced back and forth between his feet, and punched his fists into the bag. "I saw.. you two outside.. looking all happy and shit.." he said between each punch. "She obviously.. prefers the.. golden boy Dick Grayson.. to escort her.. to Crow. She's going back.. and she's going to.. get.. information." With one final punch, he turned and faced Dick who was still sitting on the bench.

Dick was looking at the floor, trying to hold in a smile. "Jason.." he called out. "Are you jealous?" He lifted his head and immediately broke out into a fit of laughter, after seeing the expression on Jason's face.

His eyes were beaming out of his face, and his mouth was slightly opened. His mind was racing through embarrassment, annoyance, and confusion. "I.. wha.. what the fuck?!" he stammered. "Jealous of what? Why would I be jealous?"

Dick had to hold his hand over his mouth to stop himself from laughing. "Jason, it's okay to feel left out."

"Left out?!" Jason threw his hands in the air. "Why the fuck would I be jealous of you and that girl? You two can fuck and I wouldn't give a shit! The only thing I care about right now is the mission. I'm not concerned about, or _jealous of_, what is going on between you and her."

Dick stood up, while running his hands down the creases of his pants. The grin on his face more brighter and wider. "Jason," he said slowly. "I never said anything about being jealous.. romantic-wise."

Jason's mouth dropped to the floor. His face instantly heated up and he felt himself getting red. "I.. you.. well.. uh.. UGH!" He threw his hands up again, as he struggled to speak English. "Well you asked if I was jealous! What else does jealous fucking mean?"

"I meant if you were jealous that she was going to be the one close to Crow!" Dick could feel his cheeks physically hurt by how much he was smiling. He held his hands up in defense, and let out another chuckle. "I know how hard you worked on this case, and I thought that you were jealous that a girl you had just met, is going to be the major asset in our mission. We both know how much you like taking control."

"Well why the fuck did you ask if I felt 'left out'?" He made air quotes with his fingers for emphasis. His face was still red, and his brows were furrowed.

"Well you said that you saw us outside, and how she 'prefers' that I escort her! I thought you were feeling left out of the mission!"

Jason just stared at Dick, flabbergasted. Dick tried to hold in his laugh, but could only do it for so long. His laughter roared throughout the room, and he had to hold on to the wall for balance.

"Fuck you," Jason muttered as he grabbed the sweat towel that was hanging around his neck, and threw it at his brother. It landed on his face, which made him stop laughing to take a breath. "How the hell was I suppose to know that?"

"This.. this is golden," Dick beamed. He brought up his finger to wipe away a tear. He cleared his throat, and looked at Jason straight in the eye. "You care about her."

"It's like you said," he shrugged, "she's a major asset to the mission."

Dick grinned as he threw the towel back at Jason, who caught it with one hand. "She calls you _Jaybird_."

Jason's brows furrowed at the sound of the nickname. "And she calls you Twinkle Toes. What's your point?"

"You're Jason freaking Todd. You don't do nicknames, unless they're aliases. Now what do you call her?"

Jason glared at Dick, wishing that he can just leave the room already. He was still trying to get over the slight humiliation that he experienced just earlier. "Freckles," he mumbled under his breath.

Dick raised his eyebrows and smiled in surprise. "Yup," he said, popping the 'p'. "You care about her."

Jason threw his middle finger up and turned to walk towards the door. His tolerance for Dick's nonsense is only so high. If Dick won't leave the room so that he can punch a bag in silence, then he can at least leave to take a shower. "Shut the fuck up," he called over his shoulder.

* * *

><p>"When we meet up at the club later, I'll give you a prepaid phone to contact us with. I can't give it to you now because-"<p>

"I don't have any pockets," Charlie interrupted, stating the obvious.

They were sitting in Dick's car, half a mile away from Crow's house. It was around midnight, and there barely any street lights.

"It's not too late to back out of this," Dick said softly. "You don't have to do this."

Charlie rubbed her arm and gazed out of the window. "I know. But I _want _to." She turned to face Dick, and forced herself to give him a soothing smile. "I _need_ to."

Dick returned her smile and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Stay safe."

Charlie just nodded before turning to exit the car. She took a quick glance at Jason, who was in the back, and gave him a nod too, which he responded with his own nod. She managed to walk three feet away from the car, before she felt her legs tremble. This was feeling all too real right now. Her heart started beating faster, and the trees in front of her were starting to become blurry. She wasn't sure if this was another withdrawal, or if she was literally having a panic attack. She stood still, unable to move her feet.

"What the fuck is she doing?" Jason muttered from his seat.

Dick looked out the front windshield and noticed that Charlie was standing stiff. "She's scared," he observed.

Jason stared at her for a couple of more seconds, but she still didn't move. "Fuck," he cursed as he unbuckled his seat belt. He got out of the car and walked over to where Charlie was standing. "So, are you going to move any time soon or do we have to carry you there?"

He expected witty comeback from her, but nothing came out. By the time he reached her, she was still unresponsive. He placed a hand on her. "Hey you nee-" His voice trailed off when Charlie turned to face him, and he could see, with the little light the street lamps provided, the tears that streamed down her face. She looked terrified.

"I need to do this.." She whispered. "I need to.. but I don't know if I can."

Jason's eyes softened and instead of taking his hand off of her shoulder, he placed another hand on her other shoulder. He lowered his head so that he was directly in her face, and he can see her at eye level. "Hey, don't chicken out now, got it? What happened to that girl who kept claiming that she can take care of herself? Where is she? You can do this, Charlie. Think of everything that Crow did to you. Think of what he has done to others, the ones that you said can't fight back."

"Jaybird," she sniffed. She hated the fact that she was yet again crying in front of him, but she couldn't help it. She was going back to Felix, when she had just managed to leave him. Charlie felt nauseous, and swore that she was going to throw up. "What if I fuck everything up? What if this whole thing gets messed up because I screwed up somehow? I do that a lot, you know? I screw up almost everything, and I do not want to screw this up for you. What if I don't make it out?"

Jason tightened his hold on her shoulders a bit, not enough to actually harm her, but enough to stop her from rambling on. "You're not going to fuck this up, alright? And if some shit goes wrong, then you run. Fuck the mission, you get yourself the hell out of there. But I know that you are capable of handling this. You proved that the moment you stole that guard's gun, and used it to shoot that fucker that shot me. I know that this is hard, and that it's fucking scary, but you can do it. I know you can."

Charlie bit her lip and looked into Jason's ice blue eyes. "You do?"

He nodded and gave her a smirk. He stood up straight and peered down at her. "Yeah, I do. You're a fucking badass Charlie. A bit too much sass, but you are a badass."

Charlie giggled and lightly slapped Jason's chest. "You love my sass, Jaybird," she beamed.

The two stood there for a few seconds in silence. Jason smirked at her, and she had a grin on her face. "Thanks," she whispered. "I think I just needed to be reassured of my 'badass' status."

"Anything to help that ego," Jason teased.

Charlie smiled at him, and turned to finally walk back to Felix. She walked a few steps before she heard Jason calling out out to her.

"Hey!"

She turned her head to look over her shoulder, and saw that he still standing at the same spot, with a smirk still on his face.

"Don't let them underestimate you, _Freckles_."


	8. Tension

"Miss Charlotte, Mister Crow is ready for you now."

Charlotte slowly got up from her seat and nodded at the butler in front of her. She stood in front of the door hesitantly, with her hand just on the knob. She felt her heart racing, pouncing within her.

"Miss Charlotte, are you alright?" the butler asked her with concern in his eyes.

"Ye.. yes. I'm just feeling a bit overwhelmed right now." She gave him a small smile and forced herself to turn the knob. She dragged her feet along the cold wooden floor into Felix's study. Ironically, it was the same study that she jumped out of a window from. It has only been a few days since she left, but everything somehow felt so different. Everything around her seems foreign, and even the maids and guards were looking at her differently.

Charlie slightly jumped when she heard the door close behind her. Felix was in front of her, though his back was facing her. His eyes were piercing through the newly fixed window. Charlie's heart rate quickly sped up, and she swore that she was going to through up right then and there.

"Hello, Charlotte." Felix's voice boomed throughout the whole study, but it wasn't loud or intimidating. Instead, it was rather calm and steady. There wasn't a hint of anger or suspicion, much to Charlie's relief. "I hope that the former apprentice of the Dark Knight, and the mysterious hooded figure didn't cause you much harm."

Charlie tried to open her mouth to reply, but couldn't find her voice. She struggled to form any sounds whenever she was around Felix. He was not only a monster to Gotham, but he was _her _personal monster.

Felix finally turned to face Charlie. His hair was graying, and his eyes were dark and cold. Being the wealthy business man he is, he dawned a tailor made suit, complete with a tie. His hands were behind his back, and he stood tall and proud. His stance added to his authority, and contrasted with Charlie's. Her eyes were focused on the floor, and her arms were crossed, as if she was trying to shield herself.

"How exactly is it that a mere young girl, like yourself, was able to escape one of Gotham's valuable boy scout, and it's merciless hero?" His thin lips curled into a smirk that made Charlie's stomach churn with disgust. "I am well aware of your ability to cause trouble with some.. business partners. But, are you really that capable to escape with nothing but a black eye?" He reached out a finger and lightly touched Charlie's "black eye". She bit her lip and kept her eyes glued on the floor. As Dick applied the makeup to her eye, he informed her that the black eye wasn't easy to smudge, and was also water proof. The only way to completely wash it off was rubbing alcohol.

"Tell me, Charlotte," Felix said as he removed his finger under her eye and used it to lift up her chin, "what happened that night?"

Charlie reluctantly looked at him in the eyes. "They took me as hostage. What else is there to say?" she snarled.

Felix frowned and his eyes deepened with annoyance. "My dear Charlotte, you have been gone for nearly four days. As the only living kin you have left, I am just concerned for your well being."

Charlie bit down on her bottom lip. Yes, he was her only living kin. But that's only because he was the one that killed her mother.

"I have some guards claiming that you were the one that attacked them. I have another one that just recovered in the infirmary that said you shot him." Felix walked around Charlie, like a lion taunting it's prey. "Is this true?"

Charlie bit down harder on her lip and continued to look straight ahead. "They told me too," she lied. "They said that if I didn't do it, then they would kill me on the spot." Her spine shivered as she felt Felix's glare in the back of her head. "I.. I was so scared, Felix. I was so helpless, and I didn't know what to do."

"How did you escape?"

"They let me go."

"Now why on Earth would they just let you go?" Felix asked. He walked around her again, observing her, checking to see if she had any injuries. "It seems as if they treated you with quite some hospitality. Ah, besides that ugly mark around your eye, one would think that you weren't even their hostage."

Charlie cleared her mind of any fears, doubts, and worries. Felix was like a mad animal. He was able to smell fear and preyed on it. In order to convince him, and relieve him from any suspicions he may have, Charlie had to shield herself from any emotions. Her eyes became as cold as his, and her posture straightened. She looked right through him, and didn't allow him the chance of sensing any fear. "They didn't believe in taking unnecessary casualties. Nightwing didn't want any blood on his hands, and the Red Hood didn't think that I was worth it. To them, I was just insurance. But when they realized that I was useless, they allowed me my freedom. Of course, they didn't let me go without a simple message," she said in a monotone voice. She raised her finger to point at her black eye, the supposedly "message" that she was referring to. "I'd be more than happy to tell you what shit hole they are hiding in, but they blindfolded me the whole time."

Felix stared at her for what seemed like hours. His eyes looking down at her, and his lips drawing a thin line. Finally, he broke the silence. "I see."

Charlie shifted her weight onto one foot, and folded her arms once again. "Is that all? Because if you excuse me, I would like to spend the next couple of hours soaked in a warm tub."

The smirk on Felix's face returned, and he nodded his head. "Of course, Charlotte."

Charlie nodded and quickly spun on her heels to walk out. As she was about to walk through the door, she heard Felix's voice crawl down her spine.

"Oh, and sweetheart. Welcome _home_."

* * *

><p>"You're the ward to the billionaire Bruce Wayne, and yet you can't spare me a decent phone?" Charlie glared down at the flip phone in her hand.<p>

"It's prepaid, freckles," Jason snorted as he took a sip of beer. "Just be grateful that we didn't get you two cups and a string."

"The phone is only for contacting us," Dick reasoned. "I already programmed our numbers into the phone. Call us if you have any information, clues, or if you're in any sort of trouble."

Charlie sighed and placed the phone on the table.

"Alright, now let's get back to business," Jason said. The three of them were currently sitting in a booth in Crow's club. As far as he was concerned, she was "back at work". "Any news on Crow?"

"Give me a break. I've only been there for two days," Charlie bickered. "I'm not Sherlock Holmes, Jaybird"

Jason rolled his eyes. "Yeah, you've been there for two days, and you didn't learn crap. So that means that you wasted two days. The shipment is going to be made in less than two weeks."

"Wow, that is brand new information," Charlie sarcastically remarked. "And here I thought that we had all of the time in the world, _Jaybird_."

Jason felt his grip on his bottle tighten. How could Dick possibly even think that he had the slightest affection for this girl? She was nothing but rude, sarcastic, and full of sass. He would deny all the facts that for the past two days, he couldn't get her out of his head. If he told Dick, he would tease him about how he was worried about the girl. But to Jason, he was just worried about the mission. Charlie was just an important asset, and that's all she was going to be to him. Or at least, that's what he keeps telling himself.

"Listen here _freckles,_ you were the one that volunteered for this little stint. I knew that you weren't going to be able to handle this, but you just ha-"

"What Jason is trying to _politely_ say," Dick interrupted, trying to avoid a war between the masked hood and the feisty minx, "is that any information you can get from Crow is incredibly useful right now. Like Jason said, the shipment is in less than two weeks."

Charlie lowered her glare on Jason. If Dick wasn't here playing referee, then they would had probably teared each other's throats out by now." She shifted in her seat and looked around to see if there were any eavesdroppers. As usual, everyone in the club was too drunk or high to be aware of the outside world. "Felix and I didn't exactly have a warm reunion, alright? The first day I got back, I.. I just needed some time to get settled in. I tried to pry around the next day, to see if the guards or maids knew anything. But they're either as clueless as a doorknob, or are too stubborn to give anything up."

"And you couldn't just go to the big guy himself?" Jason snorted. He took another sip from his beer, knowing that it would take a whole lot more for him to be intoxicated.

"Aren't you just full of bright ideas tonight," Charlie scoffed. "Hey, maybe after this whole thing is done you can go cure the common cold."

"Look Ms. Sass, all I'm saying is that the most _logical _thing to do is talk to Crow himself," Jason rebuked.

Charlie bit her lip to keep herself from bursting out. She hated to admit it, but Jason was right. The only thing stopping her from questioning Felix was her fear of Felix himself. She took a deep breath to calm herself and allowed her eyes to wander to her drink. "You're right," she mumbled. "We're under a time limit, and everyday I'm cowardly avoiding Crow is another day that we could have used."

Dick reached out an placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Hey, we still have some time. Don't beat yourself up too much over it."

Charlie flinched at the touch of his hand. The last time a man touched her in the club, it wasn't reassuring or gentle. Still, she felt a warmth overcome her from Dick's words. No one was as kind to her as he is. No one was able to comfort her and reassure her like him. She felt a connection with the young man, something that she never had with anyone before. If she was any other girl that dreamed of a Prince Charming, she would say that she felt a romantic connection with him. A fairy tail attraction where the poor mistreated girl is rescued by the Prince Charming with the gentle words, and alluring smile. But Charlie was never one for fairy tails. The connection she had with Dick was more of a sibling one. He was like the older brother that protected her and cared for her. Growing up with the so called "family" she has, she was never able to form any sort of family connections with anyone. She couldn't even form a mother-daughter relationship with her own mother.

Charlie gently pressed her hand onto Dick's and gave him a thankful smile. She hasn't known him for long, but she can already tell that Dick was almost like a brother to everyone he meets.

"Now that everything is somewhat settled," Dick said as he got up, "I think I'll leave it to you guys for a while."

"Wait, what?" Charlie questioned.

"I got some stuff to take care of in Blüdhaven. Nothing serious, just something that is gonna need a few days to deal with. I'll be back in time to help you guys with the shipment, but until then I'm only a phone call away." Dick pulled out his wallet and threw a few dollar bills on the table. "Besides, this is Jason's case and now it's yours."

Charlie frowned a bit, but she understood. Gotham is the home to the Dark Knight, and Blüdhaven is the home to his protégé. She walked over to Dick and gave him a hug. "Just a phone call away, promise?" she whispered into his shoulder.

"Promise," Dick said as they pulled away. He faced Jason and gave him a simple nod, which Jason returned. "Anyways, you got Helmet Head here."

Jason rolled his eyes and muttered something before taking another sip from his drink.

"Just try not to claw each other's eyes out while I'm gone," Dick teased. He gave Charlie one more reassuring smile before turning around and disappearing into the crowd of dancing bodies.

Charlie sighed and returned to her seat across from Jason. It wasn't that she didn't trust him, or really disliked him. She still remembered their little drinking game, and how he comforted her before she left. But she also couldn't forget the amount of times where they screamed at each other, and how much they clash sometimes. The two of them were both bold personalities; hot headed people ready to explode.

"Well freckles, looks like it's just you and me now," Jason sneered. Just like Charlie, he wasn't a huge fan over the fact that Dick just suddenly decided to leave. Especially since he wasn't over how he teased him, and claimed that he had some sort of "care" for her. She was just an important asset to the mission. An asset that can't seem to do her job. "Just because Dick isn't around, doesn't mean that the mission is going to get easier. You have to step up your game with Crow, or all of this would be for nothing."

They haven't been alone for even five minutes, and already one of them is picking another fight. Charlie bit her lip, trying to restrain herself from lashing out on him. But as hard as she tried, even a hot head like her knew that it was impossible. "If it wasn't for me, then you would be a dog chasing it's own tail! I said it before that you're right, and that I'll try to get some stuff from Felix. So why don't you just cool it?"

Jason clutched his grip on the now empty bottle harder. "Because, like _I _said earlier, we are running out of time. And now we are one man down, so excuse me if I'm trying to finish the mission I have been working on for the past couple of weeks. You are just one factor that wasn't taken into account."

Charlie's mouth dropped, as her face scrunched into disgust. _A factor?! _"Oh you have got to be kidding me," she sneered. "I am not a factor, or an asset, or whatever you keep calling me. I am a partner in this shit, whether you would like to admit it or not. Fine, you've been tracking down Felix like a lost puppy for weeks now, but while you've been playing super spy, I was literally living with the enemy. I'm more experienced with the dude, and I know a lot more about him than you and Dick combined. I might not know anything about the shipment yet, but at least I have a better chance of finding out than you. If anyone has a more important role in this, it's defiantly not the one sitting here with a penis between his legs."

Jason's eyebrows involuntarily raised because of her last sentence. Sometimes he is amused by her sass and wit, sometimes he is annoyed, and sometimes he's just simply dumbfounded. But still, he didn't appreciate the not so subtle statement that she was more important in this than anyone else. "You had your fun Freckles, but living off of the thrill this long had made the wires in your head all screwed up. I'm not the one that's playing super spy here, alright? I've been to parts of the world that you don't even know exists, fighting shit that I don't even believe exists. Fine, you know how to knock out a few guards, and shoot a damn gun. But I've been personally trained by the fucking Batman himself, and you have witnessed first hand the collection of guns I own. They're not just for show, Freckles. And okay, you lived with Crow for almost your whole life, and you got a fucking sick history with the dude. I get it, and I'm not saying that it's not worth a thing, because it's worth everything. Not just in the mission, but just in who you are. You were in some tough shit, and you are surviving it, and fighting through it. But don't think for a second that you're the biggest role in all of this. This is my mission, my target, and my thing to end. You want to be called a partner in this shit, like it's a glorified honor? Fine, congratulations, you're a freaking partner in a mission to take down your own step-father."

Charlie opened her mouth to say something, but couldn't form any words. Maybe Jason was right, maybe she was just pretending to have a bigger part than she really has. This was his mission since the beginning, of course he didn't want to hear someone else basically saying that he wasn't good enough to lead it. She hasn't known Jason long, but she defiantly knows that he is not the kind of person to easily listen to criticisms, or hearing that they're not good enough.

Jason also felt the tensions rise in their small little booth. He sighed, knowing that he might have taken it a step too far once again. Without Dick here, everything just got a whole lot harder, and the pressure got heavier. Right now, it was just the two of them. The last thing that he needed was for the mission to fail because one of them accidentally got their feelings hurt.

"Look, if I'm going to babysit you again, we might as well try to tolerate each other. And nothing says forced toleration like a good round of alcohol." Jason sighed. He waved his hand up the waitress to signal another round of drinks.

"You're just saying that because you don't have to pay for it", Charlie snorted. No matter how much he irritated her sometimes, the only thing she needs to be focusing on is taking down Felix. And it would be a lot easier without the tension always coming between the two.

"Not my fault that your relationship with Crow means that you get drinks on the house," Jason shrugged. He gladly accepted the new bottles of beer that was handed to him by the waitress, and held one out to Charlie. "Enjoy it while it still lasts."

Charlie smirked at him, and grabbed the drink. "Oh yeah, one of the perks of being the prostitute daughter to a bastard crime lord."

Jason returned the smirk and held his bottle up. "That's the spirit."

Charlie clicked her bottle against his, before proceeding to chug it. She relished the slight burn as the beer made it's way down her throat. At least there's one thing that her and Jason can agree one: free alcohol is the best kind of alcohol.

"Slow down, freckles. You don't want be in a place like this wasted."

Charlie snorted as she slammed the drink down on the table. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "Trust me, Jaybird, this is not the place that I would even want to be in sober."

"I'm just saying," Jason frowned, "don't get yourself into some unnecessary shit."

Charlie leaned forward so that she was only a few inches away from Jason. "And here I thought that the brave Red Hood would be here to protect me."

Jason slightly glared at her, and carefully backed away a bit. "What happened to all of that talk about you being able to take care of yourself?"

Charlie's smirk widened as she slightly tilted her head. "Oh don't worry, I can still kick some ass even if I'm wasted. But does that mean that you won't even try?"

Jason rolled his eyes, knowing exactly what was going on. This was Charlie's way of figuring out if she can trust him one hundred percent. It was so that she can know that if anything went wrong with Crow, that he'll keep his promise of getting her out of there again. He looked off to the side, watching the drunken bodies dance to the music. Even if he had already seen her cry, and seen her crack, he knows that she would still try to keep face. She would still try to keep up this image that she is unbreakable, and doesn't need anyone besides her. Jason is too familiar with this image himself.

After a few seconds of silence, Charlie leaned back in her seat defeated. She crossed her arms and frowned. Was that a no, he wouldn't even try? Is the mission really all he cares about? Was she honestly just an accidental asset? Did he not care for her even the slightest bit? Was she a fool for thinking that just because they shared a few moments, he would actually care? Did she want him to care?

"_If _anything goes south, for whatever reason, I will be there." Charlie's eyes widened as her thoughts were interrupted. She quickly looked up at Jason, who was still facing the crowd. "And then trust me, you won't be the one worrying about getting hurt."

Charlie smiled to herself, and took another sip from her bottle. Yeah, she got her answer.


End file.
